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.