Through Western Uganda and Back

“We need to remind ourselves, despite all our differences, just how much we share: common hopes, common dreams, a bond that will not break.”

-Barack Obama, Dreams from My Father

First off, I am very much alive and well! I successfully made a loop of western Uganda after about 40 hours in the car, some quality bonding time with Patrick and Steve (my driver and "keeper of the money"), and some real rando, interesting experiences.
As I look back on this week, I feel so blessed to have been able to go. It really was an eye-opening, life changing experience, and I loved every second of it no matter how rough it got. I saw the most magnificent, breath-taking things; God's creation at its absolute purest, untouched by man. I can't remember the last time I felt so close to the Lord. The beauty of Murchison Falls, mountain ranges that kissed the sky, rolling plains and thick, alluring forests, natural craters, and enchanting swamps. The beauty of a sunrise, glowing red over the tall grass of Uganda's vastness. The creatures that inhabit these different parts of God's gift to man. I saw giraffes, elephants, buffalo, deer, antelope, hippos, monkeys, crocodiles, and birds too many to count. It was beautiful to see them in their natural habitat.

I played with the most loving, beautiful, compassionate children and for those moments forgot that they were orphans, up to 50% of them a part of the AIDS crisis. Children that gave a whole new meaning and perspective on poverty.

I roughed it in the truest sense of the word. I trumped any previous record on days without bathing making it a full 8 days, (mostly because it wasn't really an option and in the rare occasion that it was available, my competitive drive kicked in as I would ask myself, "Can you do it?) I spent the week caked in dirt. No matter how many times I washed my hands and was determined to keep them clean, the dirt still always found its way into my nails and into every crack and crease. I had to learn to give up my fear of germs and just simply embrace it. In addition, I decided to strut my same outfit for the full 8 days as well; my added touch. It seemed a win, win situation. Less dirty clothes and therefore less laundry, and it just wouldn't make sense to be caked in dirt and have clean, shining clothes on. (I know my mom is cringing right now). I kept a certain sense of cleanliness by washing my hands up to my elbows surgeon style, and washing my face whenever water was available.

I lived off of protein bars, bananas, pineapple, and matooke for the week, and sadly have to say I am quite sick of bananas and pineapples.

I had my first experience and many after to follow with peeing into a hole in the ground and ladies and gentlemen, it is not as easy as it looks. Let's just say I would much rather pop a squat on the side of the road then try and perfect the art of aiming into a hole. When you are out in the middle of no where you really have to learn to be creative- brushing your teeth in the bush with your water from a water bottle, sneaking into the bathroom of a restaurant so you can wash your face.

There are the pictures of the rural that will always be in my mind; the things that make Uganda, well, Uganda. The smell of roasted maize, matooke, and cooking meat in the air; the smell and site of smoke from a farmer burning weeds in preparation for the next harvest; clothes out on a line drying in the sun; rows and rows of maize fields, mango trees, papaya and avocado trees; children in matching uniforms traveling home from school stopping to wave at the passing cars; women and children selling their produce to passer-bys and in the local markets; men in packs talking about whatever it is that men talk about.

And then there is the humorous: listening to Mariah Carey's "Heartbreaker" as we forged through Murchison Falls on our game drive (thank you Patrick and Steve and good old Western culture); the endless times I just dropped my pants on the side of the road to susu (pee); the van breaking down smack dab in the middle of Murchison Falls in the middle of no where; my often forgetting that the animals in the parks were indeed wild and not something to go up to and pet.
I met the most amazing people along the entire journey and I will never forget them. Individuals with wonderful hearts, determined to help the children of Uganda improve their lives, their futures. Individuals so filled with compassion and love, it is truly humbling. There is Patrick and Steve-humble, compassionate guys; true gentlemen always wanting to open the door for me, carry my bag and who I don't ever think quite understood my concept of being an independent woman and having to do it myself. I thank the Lord for them putting up with my random moods when being in the van became a bit too much for me! Ruth and Martin; JP, Lizzy, Seonaid, Santongo, Moses and Tony at the orphanage in Kiwangala; Angel and Jared at Kazinga.
But more than anything, I won't forget the fresh, clean air, the quiet and the solitude, the ability to really clear my mind and think, and the feel of the wind on my face - pure freedom.
So I guess I should give you guys more of the logistics of what I have been up to since I last wrote! I finished up at Watoto the Wednesday prior to leaving and then volunteered my last day at Mulago Hospital until I meet the Duke team in the Labor and Delivery Ward; a real interesting place indeed! Mulago is certainly still good old Mulago wherever you go: dark, almost suffocating. The smells and the breathing in of old stale air (the only fresh air comes in with the opening and closing of the door at the end of each ward).

A bit about the Labor and Delivery Ward itself. To sum it up, there are way too many young mothers giving birth and not nearly enough beds or hospital staff for them all. Honestly, if Mulago were the only place on earth to give birth, it is enough to keep my abstinent. Most of the mothers are not older than 17 - girls with their hips barely large enough and developed enough to have children. One mother of 21 was having her THIRD child already. I was also very shocked to find that the HIV rate for these new mothers at Mulago is about 60%, especially when Uganda's HIV rate is not even that high. My best guess is that it has to do with the population Mulago serves, the truly poverty stricken and destitute of Kampala and surrounding areas. Those with money usually go to a private clinic.

The ward itself is a long hallway, semi-organized but kind of chaotic at the same time. The first few rooms at the end of the hall are for women with health problems: hypertension, diabetes, breech births, eclampsia. The hall then opens up with a filing cabinet on the right with all of the patient's paperwork and with a sign in table on the left/waiting area. The room is filled with dozens and dozens of women waiting for a spot to open up. The room adjacent to the "waiting room" is a kind of triage area where women are stripped down and examined so their next destination can be picked.

As you move down the hall, you will find the second delivery room on your left with about 6 beds and your primary delivery room, resuscitation/weigh in room, and the "theatre" on your right. There are a good hundred plus woman everywhere in various stages of delivery. They are on the floors, lining the hallways, and in the beds if they were lucky enough to obtain one (usually because they are mere moments from delivery, but a baby born in the hall or in the waiting area is not an unusual occurrence). The women are so exposed with no attempt to protect their dignity. The women in the beds are completely naked and exposed, everything there for whoever wanted to see it. The hall is a mix of fully clothed to completely nude, often depending on how far along in labor you are. Childbirth is completely natural being as there is no option for pain management. The mother's are given catheters as they toss and turn in the bed, kneel on the floor, and roll in their own bodily secretions in the hours leading up to the big moment. Pre-care involves soaking up the fluids with cotton balls, listening to the babies heart with this odd shaped shoe horn looking thing, and a rough estimation of how dilated the mother is (I won't go into that).

I also was allowed to enter the theatre and watch a c-section being performed. After throwing on some way too big scrubs, I was considered sterile and allowed to enter. The woman was given an epidural and then after waiting a few minutes for it to take affect, the doctors used a pair of tweezers to pinch her abdomen in a couple spots to check if it had in fact taken affect. The incision was made and the woman's feet flew up. Yep, the epidural had not done its job. The woman was given general anesthesia and incubated and the procedure went on. The baby was out in about 5 minutes and the stick work completed in another about 10 min, and the woman was thrown onto another bed and rolled out so that after a quick clean up, the next victim could take her place on the table. I was shocked to see that the next woman actually had to walk herself to the theatre and pull herself up onto the operating table while having heavy contractions.

Despite the chaos and kind of pre-colonial way of doing things, I really did enjoy my time there. I was able to witness a baby being born for the first time. Such an odd thing-on one hand, you would think it the most disgusting event ever. Fluids everywhere and then BAM, this head pops out all covered in junk ready for his staring role in the cone heads. On the other hand, it is the beginning of life. This beautiful, pure baby takes its first breath of life, cries for the first time; not yet touched by this world. After the baby is out, the midwife shows the sex of the baby to the mother. Since boys are so important in Uganda, the mother must be shown that she has given birth to a female so that she doesn't accuse the hospital of changing the gender of her child once she gets the baby back.

Alright enough about Mulago! The Saturday before I left was my birthday! The big 22 celebrated in Kampala. Ronnie and I spent most of the day together. First we went to his home so I could say goodbye to his sister, Don, and Denzel. After that, we headed to Port Bell so that I could see Lake Victoria. We took a taxi, the name given to Uganda's "buses"; these old, you hope they don't break down, crammed vans. In Port Bell we stopped in a small CD/DVD/barber shop all in one so I could get some reggae music. I had fun just relaxing out front, watching the people go about their daily lives while Ronnie helped pick out the songs. After placing our order, we headed for the water. We bought some roasted maize (a mistake I later felt in my stomach) and sat down by the water among a bunch of gathered fishermen. It was another wonderful, relaxing moment munching on maize, talking, with a breeze blowing up from the lake. Next, it was onward to Mandela Stadium for the big "football" match between Uganda and Angola! It was a big game because it was a world cup qualifying match. Soccer is such a big deal here! I felt like I was at a UNC basketball game or a big American football match. It was different to see people so pumped up about soccer- so much energy, cheering, and noise! People were painted from head to toe, Ugandan flags were everywhere, there was whistling and dancing. Uganda won 3-0!
So now for the kicker of the day - I road on my first boda boda and hopefully my last! I will admit that a part of it is exciting, being in the open air, zooming in and out of traffic. But the excitement was constantly replaced by fear every time I thought of the fact I was flying through traffic without a helmet, my body completely exposed. I had to get back to the house quick for dinner with the Sejjaakas (the family I have been living with.) We ate at a place called Ekitoobero for some local Ugandan food: matooke, rice, pumpkin, beans. It was an absolutely wonderful, fun birthday! I do have to say that I missed all of you guys more than the usual on that special day!
Now for my trip! I left on Monday, June 16th for the first site, Bulenga. Bulenga is where Martin and his wife live and their 15 adopted orphans. It was a quiet evening in preparation for the long drive ahead because all of the children are currently away at boarding school. It was a much needed time of relaxing now that I look back at the week as a whole!

In the morning, we headed towards Kiwangala/Masaka, the first orphanage site. It was so refreshing driving with the windows down and taking it all in. So much of the land here is untouched by man, besides your lone dirt road winding along, your occasional random billboard, and a string of power lines. Other than that, it is just lush, beautiful, and green. Every once in a while you will pass through a town: your local pharmacy, a supermarket of some sort, a dairy stand, a butcher showing off his recent slaughters (I got a pretty good picture of a boy holding up a cow's head), the streets lined with women and their children selling their produce. After passing through Masaka, we turned onto this solo, winding road. The top of the van opens up and I was able to stand on the seat and ride with my upper body free to the wind. Ah, and how could I forget, I crossed the Equator for the first time from the north to the south.

Kiwangala is a completely different world! It is here that I had my first experience with the hole in the ground, washing your hands involves running them under a dripping faucet, waking up with a chicken on your table pecking away at a piece of bread, and if you don't finish your cooking before the sun goes down, well, your out of luck. But I loved being with the people there! Being in the fresh air, seeing and experiencing God's beautiful creation. Everyone was so kind and genuine, so welcoming and hospitable.

After a nights sleep there, the next day (Wednesday) was spent playing with the kids and visiting a few members of the elderly population in the town. In the morning on Wed, I attempted to introduce myself to the 500 students who attend the school and then was directed to a spot where the official welcoming began. A couple of boys played their heart out on drums while a choir sang and danced welcoming songs. Before heading to visit people in the village, I was able to play with the children for a bit. I had at all times about 10 children holding my hands. I didn't know I could hold that many little hands in mine, a small hand wrapped around each of my fingers. It is as if these children are just craving to be held and loved.

After playing with the children, we headed into the village to visit 5 different elderly woman. Each one of them have lost most if not all of their own children to AIDS and have been raising their grandchildren in deplorable looking homes. Children's Sure House (the organization who set up the school) built new homes for these different women.

In this orphanage and all of the others, these children really face daily hardships. It is often masked by the joy these children carry on their faces but many of these children still raise themselves and fend for themselves, as much as 50% have AIDS, and the school loses up to 10 children each year.

(I know this entry is getting really long, so I will try and do a better job summarizing). The next day, we woke up really early to head to Kazinga. Kazinga is extremely isolated since it is located in Queen Elizabeth National Park, but the isolation makes the place that more enchanting. The village sits on a channel off of Lake Edward and because of that, is a major fishing village. The people and the animals share the land. The orphanage school has about 1oo students and each and every one of them are nuts! So much energy! I felt like the rope in a tug-of-war game. I had the children's hands all over me as if I was some kind of science experiment. Dozen of pairs of hands held my hands, rubbed my arms, my stomach, my feet, and my hair. They were so intrigued by the smallest of things: my belly button, the band-aids on my feed, my ear piercings, my tattoo, and my veins. Jared said it is because the only white people they ever see are on the boat tours that travel by daily. They were wonderful though - singing for me, helping me stand, helping to brush off my backside when I stood, shading me from the sun by creating a canopy with their arms. I am really starting to grasp what Jesus was talking about when He said to have faith like a child. I admit though, towards the end of the day I was pretty much running from the kids. I even hid in the classroom for about 15min while feasting on African sweet potatoes. In the evening we traveled to the Park for the drive game and boat ride the next day.

I will spare you all of the details of the next two days! We spent Friday in Queen Elizabeth Park and then traveled to Hoima for the night. On Saturday, we traveled to Murchison Falls for a boat ride an game drive on Sunday. My introduction will hopefully suffice for how amazing both parks are. Breath-taking. I really don't think that my words or my pictures will give adequate glory.

Saturday was when our van broke down right in the middle of Murchison Falls National Park. After strapping my bag on, I walked to the next available hotel, where I sat and read for 5 hours while Patrick and Steve tried to get it working again. After about 5 hours, the manager took mercy on me and gave me a room. (I couldn’t afford the original price and was going to sleep in the van…the van that was no where to be seen haha). Patrick and Steve finally arrived early in the morning tapping on my door, van running once again! I was so relieved.

Because of the incident with the van, we were unable to make the final leg of the journey to Soroti to see the last orphanage school. I was a bit disappointed but I would rather play it safe then get stranded and miss my flight to Kenya. I also by that time had already had an amazing experience and was quite ready for a hot shower and a clean set of clothes. (Not to mention a working toilet).

After a rest break in Masindi, we headed back to Bulenga where I am now at! I will be spending the night here, and then I am off to Kampala in the morning. My flight leaves Thursday afternoon for Kenya where I will be for about 2 weeks.

I think about you guys daily and miss everyone tremendously! I hope all is going well in the States! Please continue to pray for my safe travels and that I keep my eyes and heart open to whatever the Lord wants to show me! May God bless you all!

Per usual, I am not able to load pictures at this current moment! But be prepared to be bombarded by pictures once I get back to NC.

I am off for my adventure through Eastern Africa!

I just don't even know where to begin as I look through my last post online and where I left off! I guess it hasn't been too long since I posted last, but I feel like I have experienced so much in such a short amount of time!

I had the opportunity to travel to Fort Portal two weekends ago to attend a introduction ceremony. An introduction ceremony is a tradition here in which the bride introduces her future husband to her family and friends. Fort Portal is in western Uganda and it is absolutely BEAUTIFUL! There is a ring of mountains almost encircling the whole town and I like how it is more peaceful and calm compared to the craziness of Kampala. Well funny story, we actually missed the entire ceremonyhaha (good old African time). I was definitely bummed because I had been really excited about getting to experience something like that.

Right when we got there I went to use a "toilet" better known as a port-a-john here and as luck would have it, it started to pour, and I found myself trapped in this port-a-john for about 30-45min. My first experience in Fort Portal, and an exciting one at that.

In the morning I decided to roam a bit, see if I could find a good view. Not far from the hotel, I found an amazing view, complete with a small village with some energetic, fun-loving kids. It was a bit rough trying to talk to them, the language barrier strikes again, but they gotthe biggest kick out of the camera out of anyone I have met so far. At first a lot of the kids and moms were running from the camera as if it frightened them, but soon, I had taught some of the kids how to use it and they were taking shotslike crazy or "photocopies" as they called them. They actually requested that I sing for them which I found odd, but I did haha. I couldn't tell if they were laughing because I was that bad for simply because they had never heard a mzungu sing before. I took a video of the kids singing themselves (which I think is what inspired them to ask me to sing), but I found it interesting that despite the fact they didn't know English, they were able to sing a couple of popular American songs in perfect English.

I have been reading A LOT since I got here. I just finished this book called Poor Story by Giles Bolton which I suggest all of you pick up and read if you get the time! It talks about poverty in Africa, and why despite international aid, Africa continues to be stuck in poverty. In one part he talks about two families he built friendships with in Africa; one, an older couple in a village calledMachini, a small town on the way to Naivasha from Nairobi (yes - I am very tempted to retrace the authors journey); the second, a 19 year old mother living in poverty in the Congo, fighting to give her son a better life. I feel like Bolton more beautifully expressed something I tried to address in an earlierentry, "that while Africa have wildly differing lives, they share with the rest of the world the same basic aspirations, day-to-day joys and sadness: a good or bad week of work, a desire to provide for the family, see friends, keep up with local events. Where they differ, particularly from those of us in the West, is in the near-impossible choices with which they are often faced. It is these choices that are the hallmark of poverty: dilemmas to which sensiblesolutions are simply not available. It is a poverty trap."

Bolton invents the Republic of Uzima, a fictional state based on the average conditions and statistics of Africa: a population of 14,014,662; a life expectancy of 46; an average income of $340/year, with 6.5 million living on less than $1/day; where 21% die from AIDS, 10% from lower respiratory infections, 9% from malaria, and 7% from diarrhea; where hunger contributes more to the death rates then AIDS, malaria, and TB combined; where 44% of the population is younger than 15; 28% of the children between 10-14 are part of the workforce; only 13% of the roads are paved; 42% of the public lack a source of clean water and 47% to improved sanitation. What this all boils down to is that Africa is stuck in a trap with much to improve and without the funds to do so. So how does even the most righteous leader make such big decisions? Do you build more schools or bring in more teachers? Do you build auniversity so you can prevent those who can afford to go abroad and never return or do you use the money to make sure children in primary school actually have textbooks? Do you improve water conditions for the rural poor or sanitation facilities for the disease ridden cityslummers ? Do you pave roads or improve electricity? Do you immunize babies or provide bed nets to reduce malaria? Because the reality is that you don't have enough funds to do it all.

So why am I telling you all of this? Because I am seeing this EVERYDAY. It really does exist! The lack of clean water, the poorly managed roads, the widespread AIDS and malaria, starvation, hard working 10 yearolds . It made me wonder, how much of an impact it could make if Western countries would gain an interest in Africa. The unfortunate thing is that its poor markets hold little interest for western business, and the continent provides no political or strategic threat to the west's stability. In a nut shell, Africa doesn't matter. I have had such a desire to increase my knowledge and awareness of Africa because I really do think that if people would get passionate about helping the people here, that we could really make a difference. To quote the book one last time, "we have the ability to affect and bring positive change to people thousands of miles away."

Another book I picked up and started reading, (I hope I don't gain enemies for this one haha), is Barack Obama's first book, Dreams from my Father. Even though it is talking about the racial tension between blacks and whites in America, it has really helped me to understand some of the things I have been feeling and thinking here, for example, why I get stared at so much. In one part he talks about his white mother's experience in Indonesia and says, "she was a foreigner, middle-class and white, and protected by her heredity whether she wanted protection or not. She could always leave if things got too messy." In another part,Obama is talking to friend who starts talking about his white friend. The friend Frank says, "...he doesn't know me and he can't know me, not the way I know him. Maybe some of these Hawaiian's can, or the Indians on the reservation. They've seen their father humiliated. Their mothers desecrated. But your grandfather will never know what that feels like. Doesn't matter how tired I get, I still have to watch myself. I have to be vigilant for my own survival." That is why I believe I get stared at. As much as I want to be an equal, to blend in and be like family here, there will always be a barrier. I can no pretend that I have even the slightest idea of the pain and suffering people have gone through here - to understand their daily struggles. I have lived aseverely inflated, safe life and at the touch of a button, I have the freedom to leave this place if things get sticky or too much for me. I just pray that despite this line, that I can build relationships, trust with the people I encounter. I want them to teach me about their lives - the pain and the suffering, the joy and the compassion. I want my eyes to be opened because I am no longer content with living the life I have been blessed with in American.

Alright! No more about my reading...I don't want you guys to think that I sit day in and day out reading books ;-). I continue to work atWatoto every Monday and Wednesday and still love that place just as much if not more than I did before. My last day is tomorrow and I am really going to miss some of the woman I have grown to love there! There is Margaret who works in the kitchen. She always sneaks me the extra pumpkin and pineapple from the morning and afternoon snackshaha . There is Laura, such a beautiful, encouraging woman! There is Edith who works in the clinic and Nina who is in the office all day with me. I have pictures of them all that I will have to post once I get home!

I have not been working so much at Mulago, half because it really crashes my spirits, and partly because I have been taking the extra time to explore the city with Ronnie and meet more people. The majority of my work inMulago will be done in the last 10 days when the team from Duke comes. I am headed for Mulago to take on the Labor and Delivery Ward right after I finish this post, and I am going to help out in the Special Care Unit again on Thursday. I read another quote somewhere that "No one could make a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could only do a little." I think a part of me has avoidedMulago out of frustration because I felt like I was lost, like I wasn't helping to make any kind of difference. But I don't want to not do anything because I felt like what I was doing was so little. If there is one thing I keep repeating to myself, it is that compassion and empathy know no borders. That humor, respect, and dignity know no boundaries - they are international. Simply taking a patients hand in yours and giving them eye contact lets them know you are there and that you care about them and will do the best you can to take care of them. I had a patient who was struggling to get his cup and I walked over and handed it to him. He looked so shocked I had done that because I think he had gotten used to being lost in the masses atMulago . Touching a patient gently on the back or simply sitting with a patient; being with a patient if is it an infant, just holding the baby, loving the baby. Even if it is his last night, at least he learned what it felt like to be loved and cared for. So what if I can't speak apatient's language, so what if there are no medications or equipment- through compassion I can let the patient know I care about him and that I am there to serve him.

When I am not at Watoto or Mulago, I am either hanging out with the guys who work next door, Henry and Nelson, helping Florence out in the house, or I am roaming the streets with Ronnie. I hung out with Ronnie this past Friday. It was so good to see his smiling face! It had been weeks since I last saw him. First we went back toBukoto so I could give out the last of my pictures. I met the mother of two kids I took pictures of, Aisha, who gave me some matoke in her local restaurant! It felt so good to return to a familiar place - to be able to build existing relationships and friendships and create new ones. Relationships and friendships - that is what it should be all about. I will definitely miss matoke when I get back home. Aisha invited us back next Saturday for my birthday! She said we would celebrate which I am not sure what that means..but I am excited anyways!

After we left there, Ronnie took me to see his sister Grace and her new baby boy who was born on May 30 at exactly 5:50pm. As it turns out, Ronnie and Grace named him Denzel Woodruff Mujwisa. I really don't know what to think of it. Legacy is a big deal here and passing your name on to your children and your children's children. I am extremely honored that he named his son after my "father's name" as he says, but at the same time I do not feel that I am deserving of such a gesture. Either way, Denzel is beautiful and I will be putting some pictures up of him and Grace hopefully soon!

So some other interesting stories. I ate a mango the other week that, are you ready for this, had maggots in it. Yep, I was pretty excited about that and I avoided mangos for a full week. I was about to take a bite when two of them crawled right out into my bowl. In other exciting news, as luck would have it, an ATM "swallowed" my bank card yesterday haha. So I am currently trying to get the thing back.

I guess that is all for now! All in all, I really have found that I have learned a lot more than I give myself credit for in these few weeks! Better time management and priortizing my tasks, the importance of teamwork and delegation, confidence in the abilities that I have learned, how important compassion and empathy really are in the nurse-patient relationship, and how to be more relaxed! How to really slow down and enjoy the moment! This trip really has started to fly by and I can't believe I have been here for a month this Thursday!

I leave for a trip through Western Uganda this Monday the 16th and will be gone until the 24th. I will be back in Kampala for a day before boarding a plane for Nairobi, Kenya where I will be until July 15th. The 16th I leave for Arusha, Tanzania and will be there until the 26th. I guess what I am trying to say is that, it is quite possible that this will be my last post until I return back to NC in August. I have no doubt this trip is going to really fly by as I start traveling around Eastern Africa. Please pray for my safety as I go to all of these foreign places! When I return, I will definitely do my best to summarize two months of traveling! And of course I will be posting tons and tons of pictures! Thank you so much for your prayers thus far, and for taking the time to check out my blog! I miss everyone and can't wait to be back in the states!

And last but certainly not least, a few more pictures for your enjoyment! Again, remember the pictures load backwards, so they are a bit out of order and sometimes I think my captions don't make a whole lot of sense being as they are out of order to...

These are two of the kids at Watoto. David is the one on the left. The child who was left on a trash heap and burnt but fought for life! He is so sweet! I love him and wish I could bring him home!

This is me holding Esther, one of the premies I have been taking care of

This is Laura. I love her and I am going to miss her SO MUCH! There isn't an ounce of mean in her!

The kids I met in the village by the hotel I was staying at in Fort Portal. They just started dancing and singing! It was so much fun. Again, I was amazed at how perfect their English was when they started singing popular American tunes, despite their lack of ability in speaking English or understanding me.

Another view of the town of Fort Portal.

This is a view of Fort Portal from a top of the hill where the King's palace sits. Abby and I couldn't see the king's palace because security wouldn't let us through, but we still go an amazing view of the town from the hill! I feel like I already said it once?...but the king in Fort Portal is the youngest to ever reign...he is 17. They don't really have the political power in Uganda, it is more of a tradition.

One of the cute, cute, CUTE kids at Watoto that I am blessed to see twice a week!

Taking more fun pictures with the beautiful kids in Fort Portal! The kids loved taking pictures!

This is one of the children's homes in Fort Portal with the mother working out front. Now just imagine the mountains that are in the background! I would love to wake up each morning with the breathtaking view they have!

This is one of the daughters doing laundry. I couldn't imagine having to wash clothes by hand everyday. It really makes you start appreciating the simple things like washing machines that we taken advantage of everyday and often forget that they are luxuries that a lot of the world will never get to use.

This is an outdoor shower used by a dozen or so families in the village.

More fun loving kids in Fort Portal!

I actually met this woman in Mbale across the street from the kids I was hanging out. She was staring at me from behind a row of crops so I decided to go over and say hello. I wish so bad that I could have been able to talk to her. She was such a compassionate, welcoming woman.

This is the inside of her home...

This is me! Stuck in the port-a-john in Fort Portal for about 45 min during the downpour! Now how many of you can say you've had to entertain youself in a port-a-john for that long?

A compound of a couple of homes in Fort Portal.

Teaching one of the kids how to use the camara! He actually became quite a pro!

Switching gears, this is the village I visited in Mbale. There was no electricity so it was extremely difficult to see into the homes even in the daylight. But the homes were very cozy and a part of me felt more at home here then in my life spent up in Kololo.

This is one of the mothers of all of the children I met in Mbale. This is a very common picture in Ugandan culture. The mother kneeling on the ground cooking food over a fire with a few pots and pans.

This is one of the girls that I met in Mbale, in the village that I wandered into. It is a very common thing to see young girls carrying around their baby brothers and sisters. "Young mothers" is the term I have often heard them referred as.

At Last: The Pictures!

I literally think I have taken well over 500 pictures since I have been here...I am a bit afraid that I didn't bring enough memory with me for my crazy picture taking habits! I am sorry that this is such a small piece of my photos, but I tried my best to represent what I have been experiencing and doing. I promise to upload the rest of the pictures once I get back to the US when I am not being charged per minute and when the connection is a little bit faster! As a side note, as I add these pictures, they add to the top, so the first pictures I added are on the bottom of this page. If any of my explanations are confusing, keep reading on, and hopefully the confusion will be cleared up.

The local market in Bukoto, about a 5 minute walk from my house, on Friday. Pure chaos...that is all I have to say about that.

My trip to Mbale! A welcomed break from the chaos and craziness of Kampala! This is the town of Mbale. I loved the mountains in the background.

A woman selling bananas and other produce on the side of the road. This is very common wherever you go in Uganda. Women are always sitting by the side of the road trying to sell the produce they produce, whether it is bananas, plantains, mangos, maize, beans, etc. etc. Sometimes they are just sitting on the ground, other times they have a stand of some sorts set up, other times they are wandering around carrying their goods on their head.

This is the more rural area or the village of Mbale! It was so beautiful and peaceful. To the left of this road is where I was able to hang out with a local family.

Another view from the road in the rural area of Mbale. I felt so much at peace here. Again, the mountains in the background. And the children there in the road was the collecting crowd I was gathering by my presence. To be a white person..it certainly is an experience.

This is Ronnie's home. He and his sister, Grace, sleep on this mattress, while his son sleeps in a crib to the right of the suitcase. On the other wall is a chair, the front door, and various kitchen supplies stacked up in the corner. Grace just gave birth to a beautiful baby boy who will join Don in his crib. Ronnie is stressed about how he is going to feed an extra mouth.

I know, I take a lot of pictures of kids! But they are so much fun and have so much energy! Plus, the adults don't like their picture being taken...they usually want a fee for the picture. Also, they are very hesitant to get their picture taken (the adults) because they often think that a white person taking pictures is a journalist who is going to make a profit off of the picture. Besides, the kids love having their picture taken and seeing themselves on the screen. Taking videos of them is a whole other amazing thing!

This is a dumping site in Kisenyi which surprisingly has a sign that says "no dumping." The upper classes of Kampala often throw their trash down here since it is in the valley which forces people in Kisenyi to live right next to it and make the best of the situation.

These children were playing right next to the dumping site...you just can't get away from it. It makes up their environment; it is their home. Their entertainment involved sitting on cardboard boxes and sliding down this hill.

Children living in Kisenyi, the slums of Kampala

A better view of the sewage that runs right next to all of the homes in Kisenyi. The mothers often cook right next to. Could you imagine cooking the food your family is going to eat right next to your own poop and whatever else is floating in the water near by?

This child was collecting water in the good old yellow buckets down seen frequently around Kampala. Ronnie told me that this water is the purest of all water because it is a natural source from underground. I am not sure if I trust that enough to test the water myself...

The grandmother and her three beautiful grandchildren that I met in Bukoto. I was able to develop pictures for them and take them back for her to have. I hope to be able to do the same for a couple of other familes I have met. It brought her so much joy to have the pictures. Most the people I have met have never had their picture taken, let alone seen a camera.

This is the boy that I mentioned in an earlier posting when I was talking about how a lot of the workforce here in Uganda, in Africa, is children. This child was collecting small pieces of coal off of the road to put in the sack on his back so that he could turn them in for extra money. He was so excited to get his picture taken! It just breaks my heart to see children so young working so that they can survive. They should be playing, running, being kids!

These three kids live in Kisenyi, or the slums of Kampala. The absolute C class of Kampala. Despite the hardships they face everyday, they had a lot of energy and spirit! I am not sure why, but a popular pose for the kids when getting their pictures taken is some kind of kicking pose or saluting the camara. It is very military...I wonder if it has to do with all of the war these people have seen.

This was a local market in Kisenyi; and to my surprise, not yellow buckets, but GREEN! (haha if this doesn't make sense, keep on reading....I explain the buckets later on.)

Another view of the lives of most in Africa. The ditch in front is the running sewage. Many of the children are forced to play right by it, and the mothers often cook right next to it.

I kept asking myself, where is the hope in this place? It is in beautiful children like this! If the children can be reached, as in educated, told about the dangers of HIV, not corrupted, given life, then I truly believe that Uganda, that Africa can rise out of the hole it is in right now. The kids really have so much joy despite the situations they are forced to live in and bear.

This is a typical home in Kampala. This particular home was somewhere in Ronnie and my journey between Bukoto and Ntinda. The most alarming thing, is that compared to a lot of people in Uganda, in Africa, this particular family has it pretty good.

Ronnie and I met this guy in Ntinda during his lunch break. He was working at the local lumbar yard. He let me take a picture because he was shocked that I knew he was eating matoke. Matoke is a local dish and it is so GOOD....it's basically steamed and smasked up plaintains. As you can see, it is often accompanied with beans, and sometimes posho or maize flour mixed in water. I am going to be missing my matoke when I get home.

This is the boy that I talked about in an earlier entry. He is the one who is about 5 years old and is unable to walk or to speak. Because of it, he has been pretty much outcasted by his family and his community, which can be seen by the fact that he hasn't been given any clothes. What worth does a person have when he can work to make money? He is a beautiful child if you ask me!

Another row of shops in Ntinda. Take notice of the yellow bins lying on the ground. They are EVERYWHERE....and for some reason I can't figure out why they seem to only come in one color. They are used for collecting water, washing, and storing food and everybody has one if not a few. Also, the MTN sign. MTN is one of the providers or air time for the beloved cell phones here. Uganda just kind of bypassed the whole land line thing and went straight for the use of cell phones. There are MTN booths everywhere where you can pick up air time cards or minutes for your phone.

The beloved boda boda drivers I keep talking about. They scare me to death and I have declared that I will never ride on one for fear of ending up in the ER (which is what majority of the patients are in Mulago's ER). They usually won't let you take their picture without a fee, but these particular guys kept hitting on me, so I felt taking their picture was a fair trade for their hastling.

This is Henry (on the left) and Nelson. They both work at the offices next door to the house I am living at in Kololo. These two guys, Florence who works at the home I am at, and Ronnie have quickly become my four closest friends since I have been here. I often go out in the morning and in the evenings to sit on the wall and talk with Henry and Nelson. Henry works in the yard and Nelson is a guard. They work 7 days a week, 12 hours a day for a mere 4,000 Ugandan shillings. That is the equivalent of $2.35 for 12 hours of work!

What is the best way to describe this? It is basically a mini store, and they are all over the place. You can buy bananas, pieces of candy, soda, cigarettes, etc. They kind of remind me of a dumpster with the side cut out for a window...which in all honestly, that might be exactly what it is.

This is a view of a row of shops right in front of the brown flats that I showed you guys in an earlier entry. They provide your basic necessities for life such as produce and clothing. I am not really sure what the random goats wandering around were all about. Take note of the consistency of the sidewalks...in all of the pictures for that matter. You can imagine how much more challenging life is when it rains. Everything turns to mud.

This is a home in Bukoto in the background with their cattle and livelihood wandering around their front yard. Cattle are extremely common to Uganda and wander freely everywhere. I was surprised to learn that the tradition of a bride price still exists in Uganda: when a man wants to marry, he must settle a bride price with the father of the bride first which is typically cattle.

This is the bathrooms for the community that I visited in Bukoto. I was kind of glad it was locked because I was a bit nervous to see what was on the other side of the doors. But these bathrooms or "toilets" as they call him here are for about 100 people. Don't say bathrooms here because you'll just get a lot of blank, confused stares.