Saturday - Sept. 6 - It's a LONG one!

Sorry this is so long - seems like once I got back to PH there was so much to say!!! Living there is really a roller coaster - emotions are up and down; work effort is up and down, too. School won't start till the 15th so I'm still on "coast" mode! We were going to start the 9th, but the government apparently sent out two memos re: the starting date and Sr. picked the later one since Sr. Juliet should be back and also, we're short on food. Have a teacher's meeting on Monday so I have to get busy this weekend.

P.S. I did get my Language Certificate at training - now I'm an official, full fledged volunteer - yea me!!!

Was so happy to get home last Saturday - got veggies at the market and started soaking my clothes. I was exhausted from all the socializing - love sitting in my little apt. reading a book, listening to music - I get a nice cross breeze and it's really quiet at the convent!

Went down to Providence Home and the greetings from everyone were worth every minute I've put in here! Guess I am special!!! They spent most of the week in the garden planting sweet potatoes and weeding the new beans. Maria showed me the outfit she sewed...Sr. Goretti said she was a good tailoring pupil. Everyone was excited because Sr. Melody contributed bananas to last Sunday's dinner and they were having meat and rice this Sunday! Sr. Goretti said they all missed "mother" - I forget that the sisters are only in their late 20s and early 30s...but I don't feel like I have to take care of them they are so competent.

Sunday I washed clothes (let them soak overnite - they are REALLY dirty from Kampala - the water is just brown). Went to church and read some more. Taking it easy! Finally saw the monkeys that live at Mother Kevin's gravesite (she's the founder of PH - an Irish nun who came to Africa in 1903 and started a bunch of organization - quite the women - is buried not far from PH).

Monday we got going on the PH stove project with the UC Davis people (had been phoning about it last week). The stove that we use to cook for the children has totally collapsed - it's been going for some time. It holds 2 HUGE pots and one smaller one. It was made of brick and the mortar finally gave way. There is a local NGO (non-government agency) that makes an energy efficient, wood burning industrial stove - they are expensive but sound really great. The Davis group checked them out. The new stove will have an angle iron frame welded together to ease the load on the bricks (esp. where they rest the pots), wire mesh reinforcement, and angle irons around the holes where the firewood goes on the bottom and the holes will have metal doors for less heat loss. Also they will hook up the chimney's that are there - the smoke is awful now! Thanks so much to Dr. Norberto and Anna from Florida and the people of St. John's Church (my church in Minnesota). I even got the guy from the NGO to sign a contract saying he's complete it for the agreed price and would do any labor needed to repair it free for the next 10years!!! A novel concept in Uganda. Usually, they have some excuse why the price went up from what they quoted - i.e., "prices went up, I forgot to figure in transport, etc." and if you don't pay the new price they stop before they are done! Not always, but we have had some problems in the past.

Very intense CBR day Tuesday. Lots of people as a result of the guys doing outreach (thanks all who donated). Two hydrocephalic babies and a mom with a 5 yr. old hydrocephalic who needs to go for a checkup - that mom walked 8 kilometers to get some $ for transport to the specialty hospital in Mbale.
One baby (1 1/2 mo.) looked really awful - very skinny. Moses told them to come and get some transport aid (we gave them 1/2 the cost to get to Kbale - 10,000 sh - $6). I wish we had a better system and could go w. them. In the case of two moms the dads left after the babies were born - they think they could never have fathered a deformed child and it was a curse or she cheated on him! I wondered if the women will actually go or spend the $6 on food since they had families but guess that wouldn't be so bad either. It's usual that fathers (sorry guys) don't want to spend $ on disabled children since they will never be productive they say - moms carry most of the burden and have none of the family money!

We had our monthly CBR meeting, too - the outreach has gone well. Moses said people seem so happy to see them in the villages and they tell him they feel like they're not forgotten. Sister said she'd try to get to the next village meeting which would really impress people! We are still waiting for a date from Dr. Antonio for the orthopedic clinic he's going to do at PH - more people!!!

By Wednesday I felt like I was finally recovering from the week in Kampala - lost some momentum (and a lot of sleep). Since I can't do a PC Small Project Assistance Grant for a piggery (grant rules - no animal projects) am now thinking of trying to put one together to modify the vocational school for disabled students - lower tables, maybe some machine modifications, extra help (tho' salaries can't be covered). Now to find someone who can give me advice on how to do that - have some leads to start looking but it will be a project!

Have been working in the office cleaning out old CBR files - if we haven't seen a patient in 2 years they go into the "Inactive File" and if not seen in 5 years I'm burning them (Holly said that's the rule at the hospital)...really cleans up the binders - we could never find any old files anyway, it was such a mess!! Had a great ABC class - the kids seem so eager. Am getting some of the slow ones to try -think they are tired of being "the dumb kids". After evening Mass a couple of the girls came up to my apt. for "tea" and were impressed w. my layout. The gas stove really gets them!!! Instant flame - what a luxury!

Weather is turning warmer - have had some violent thunderstorms - start of the next rainy season? Shari and I need to get our garden in soon! I really miss the leaves turning colors....not much changes here except wet and dry!

Thursday was Epilepsy Clinic day. Florence (the nurse from Buabike) gave out meds for 36 people!! 8 were brand new (result of outreach). She is just amazing! Moses and Nelson were again great, translating and getting info on the new people. I just make sure we keep a list and everyone's books are there and ready for her. Moses even gets them in a first come/first seen lineup. It's really gratifying to see her help all those peole - and most are very grateful. One of the vocational girls came with her dad to get her meds (she's home for the holiday) and it was fun seeing here - we hugged - neat feeling to have a connection!

Side story - there are so many: The man who manages the animals (Clever) told us his brother died very suddenly and the Sisters were scrambling to get him his back wages so he could go home.....he lives way out west - farther than Kbale!!! They finally borrowed from the bakery (again). The cook's brother died last week after a long illness...lots of deaths. Reinforced the need for some income generating projects but our animal projects always seem to go bad. Pigs died, chickens were sick, cows we have now aren't giving any milk. Part of the problem is lack of funds to get meds, good food, and good stock and part is not really seeing the need to feed aggressively and get the stock to market fast - but w/o the funds to buy quality feeds you couldn't anyway - a vicious cycle. Anyone want to come over and give us a hand? Clever is a good man and you can see he loves the animals - even calf is not doing well and the "vet" in town can't help (he's just the guy that owns the feed store).

Sometimes all the problems and sickness gets you down, but you really can't let it - it's all a part of life here. It was here long before I came and it will be like that when I leave.

Holly had a bad day Thursday - their project (working with HIV/AIDS) is out of money and their "volunteers" are very unhappy (they were getting a stipend for doing visits, etc.). Some walked out of a meeting she held to explain things - like it was her fault!! At least the PH people are used to not getting paid (is that good?).

Finally, Friday - sorry this is so long. Washed sheets (and lots) and hung them up in the convent. Went down to PH and they were going to the garden so I came back to get my boots. However, before they could leave - always a process - it started to rain so the trip was cancelled. Went back and took my clothes in! Went down again and did some file cleaning - then back to put the clothes back up (sun shining). Had an ABC Class - some I never thought would get there wrote out the alphabet to "r" (as far as we are now) - then they get to draw. I label their pictures w. the English words and we hang them up - lots of fun but exhausting!

Got a disconcerting call from Moses (CBR volunteer). One of the moms with a hyrocephalic baby called him from the hospital in Mbale because they said she had to pay for the surgery. The poor gal is far from home (5 hours from Kampala) - probably farther than she's ever been - and they ask her for money! We had read (and had a copy) of a recent article in a popular Kampala newspaper that the hospital treated poor people w/o cost becasue they get so many donations - it was also on their website! I called them and talked to a social worker there and he said the article was written w/o their input and the website needed updating(really) They want a 750,000 sh. ($500) "contribution"! That's an astronomical sum here!!! He said they would start for 50,000 and a promise to pay later. They did take her - she was so desperate she told them PH would pay tho' it said clearly on the referral letter we couldn't - and told her she'd have to make payments when she came back for follow-up visits - how many follow up visits do you think she'll make with that demand? What happens to hydrocephalic babies from all those poor families -guess they just don't get treated! So, we have to tell everyone else they need at least 50,000 sh to go to the hospital - theymight as well tell them to stay home. I realize it's only $31 but that's probably all the cash a village family sees in 6 months!!


Holly and I came to Mukono this a.m. at 6:30 - wanted to use the internet but it wasn't open so went to the Colline Hotel (very colonial) and had a great buffet breakfast - made to order omlettes and brewed coffee!!! Much better already!

Sorry to be so long. Am really getting anxious for Gail to deliver - I feel really bad about not being there (she's due the 10th and Dr. Kivi said by the 15th for sure). Also, Jamie and Naomi have only about a month to go and Olivia's baptism is next week. Bummer - I MISS YOU ALL.
Keep me posted....thanks for all the letters/packages/donations/thoughts/prayers - every one makes a HUGE difference! It's a roller coaster, but mostly I'm up - fortunately, between the three of us one is "up" on any given day...helps a lot.

Take care - enjoy the fall colors and cool days and nights. I always liked fall the best....my favorite colors - or maybe it was the kids going back to school!!!