Last week I was brought up to stay with my host family to
experience life, food, and the culture here in Lira. It was a wonderful
experience and the family who hosted me will always be part of me now that we
have found each other in this great big wide world.
Steven and I started the day by going to meet with local
authorities in three different departments. We were warmly received everywhere and did quite a bit of line jumping everywhere we went. The police had
many people waiting to see them, but as usual the crowds parted as we walked
in. Steven will have a hard time after he leaves me and the waves no longer
part for him wherever he goes, the advantages of being an older person is not lost on me.
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| They actually received a certificate for taking care of me with my picture on it. |
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| Steven is the man |
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| Host family, Elizabeth and Felicite |
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| Ann from Peace Corps Uganda |
We met the top official in the area who is appointed by the
President, his name is George and he is a very well spoken and interesting
young man who studied in Switzerland and has worked for Oxfam in the Philipines
and traveled about in India. This is a bright, rising star for Uganda. Very
delightful to meet and talk with him.
The local police officer suggested that I might want to purchase land in
Lira and build a retirement home, might be a good suggestion as this might be
the only place I can ever afford one!
On to meet up with Ann of Peace Corps Uganda, what a lovely
and delightful woman. She works very hard to make sure that all PC volunteers
are happy in their families, that would be quite the task with over 150
volunteers in country. Ann had an
interesting thought to share with me, some African wisdom. She said that in
Uganda they believe that if you always eat at home you will believe that your
mother is the best cook in the world, it is only when you go outside that you
might come to know something different. She wrote down my favourite saying of mine about "ships in harbour are safe but that is not what ships are made for."
I had a conversation with a nice gentleman this morning who gave me a call. He is an American who has resided here in Lira with his wife for many years. There was dead silence on the phone when I told him I would be living alone. He said they have an armed guard and have had their house broken in to twice in recent months. I started to ask if the guard was sleeping but did not. The house I am going to reside in appears to be quite safe with good locks and a wall around it that anyone who is of the least mind to do so can easily scale but hopefully things will stay locked up well enough that there won't be any reason to come inside the compound. The previous volunteers did not seem to feel that there was any danger. Other than his admonishment that he would not leave his wife alone here for one night we carried on discussing other such things, such as his recent case of malaria. He is very well informed and a nice guy and I hope to meet him and his wife in the days to come. They have a literacy project and teach inside the jails. In all it was a good chat and I am not going to dwell on what might happen.
I am at last adjusting to the anti Malarial medication but it still hits me right after I take it with nausea, no appetite and I can almost guarantee a bit of a headache. I know that it is the medicine as I have not had any symptoms until I take it and have taken it at various times of the day, if I take it at night I would be crawling the walls. I must continue though as yesterday we went to a level 4 hospital about 20 minutes outside the town and again the place was filled with Malaria patients. The sister on duty informed me that this in her mind is an "epidemic" and that on one 8 hour shift they had admitted 40 children. Keeping in mind that they only admit the sickest of children who go on IV medication this appeared to be a very serious problem. While we were there we met up with five of the nursing students and gave them an "examination" this consisted of observing them brining in pregnant women who have arrived for pre-natal care. The two nurses from the University, Nancy and Agnes and I watched the student and the patient as they went through the assessment with the mothers, to be honest at times it was very awkward. The room was tiny and the mothers were uncomfortable with the crowd and the students were almost unbearably nervous. I don't think we saw their best effort and they were very comfortable with the women prior to our taking them out individually and I was brand new for them. For first year nursing students they did pretty well. One was lagging far behind and the scary part about that is she is a trained mid-wife. The others obviously were doing their very best and it made me more at ease about the relationship I will have with them as these will be the students in my classrooms and I will have a chance to work with them in the clinical setting.
There was the perfect picture moment as we were leaving of an outpatient clinic with mothers and children out under the trees that I was reluctant to snap. I don't want to be one of those American's that always has my phone out to take pictures. When I asked later they said that it would have been fine. Sounds like I will be visiting that hospital frequently with students so, next time. Agnes and Nancy told me from the moment I put on that white coat I will be "doctor" and expect to be grabbed to assist with deliveries or whatever else emergency comes along. Should be interesting times ahead.
I had a conversation with a nice gentleman this morning who gave me a call. He is an American who has resided here in Lira with his wife for many years. There was dead silence on the phone when I told him I would be living alone. He said they have an armed guard and have had their house broken in to twice in recent months. I started to ask if the guard was sleeping but did not. The house I am going to reside in appears to be quite safe with good locks and a wall around it that anyone who is of the least mind to do so can easily scale but hopefully things will stay locked up well enough that there won't be any reason to come inside the compound. The previous volunteers did not seem to feel that there was any danger. Other than his admonishment that he would not leave his wife alone here for one night we carried on discussing other such things, such as his recent case of malaria. He is very well informed and a nice guy and I hope to meet him and his wife in the days to come. They have a literacy project and teach inside the jails. In all it was a good chat and I am not going to dwell on what might happen.
I am at last adjusting to the anti Malarial medication but it still hits me right after I take it with nausea, no appetite and I can almost guarantee a bit of a headache. I know that it is the medicine as I have not had any symptoms until I take it and have taken it at various times of the day, if I take it at night I would be crawling the walls. I must continue though as yesterday we went to a level 4 hospital about 20 minutes outside the town and again the place was filled with Malaria patients. The sister on duty informed me that this in her mind is an "epidemic" and that on one 8 hour shift they had admitted 40 children. Keeping in mind that they only admit the sickest of children who go on IV medication this appeared to be a very serious problem. While we were there we met up with five of the nursing students and gave them an "examination" this consisted of observing them brining in pregnant women who have arrived for pre-natal care. The two nurses from the University, Nancy and Agnes and I watched the student and the patient as they went through the assessment with the mothers, to be honest at times it was very awkward. The room was tiny and the mothers were uncomfortable with the crowd and the students were almost unbearably nervous. I don't think we saw their best effort and they were very comfortable with the women prior to our taking them out individually and I was brand new for them. For first year nursing students they did pretty well. One was lagging far behind and the scary part about that is she is a trained mid-wife. The others obviously were doing their very best and it made me more at ease about the relationship I will have with them as these will be the students in my classrooms and I will have a chance to work with them in the clinical setting.
There was the perfect picture moment as we were leaving of an outpatient clinic with mothers and children out under the trees that I was reluctant to snap. I don't want to be one of those American's that always has my phone out to take pictures. When I asked later they said that it would have been fine. Sounds like I will be visiting that hospital frequently with students so, next time. Agnes and Nancy told me from the moment I put on that white coat I will be "doctor" and expect to be grabbed to assist with deliveries or whatever else emergency comes along. Should be interesting times ahead.
The family came to the hotel and we had a farewell luncheon,
before I returned to their home with them. They are lovely people and were even
given a certificate from the Peace Corps thanking them for caring for me. I
know that the most difficult part for them has been that I am a very picky vegetarian
and I think for them that is just flat out insane.
Anyway, we made it. Back to Kampala tomorrow for more training. I cannot say that I am happy about it but as the days have passed here I have come to know how much I don’t know and look forward to a closer look at how the health care system works. I look forward to seeing the rest of my group and hearing how they have fared in their host families and with the University's where they will be working,
Anyway, we made it. Back to Kampala tomorrow for more training. I cannot say that I am happy about it but as the days have passed here I have come to know how much I don’t know and look forward to a closer look at how the health care system works. I look forward to seeing the rest of my group and hearing how they have fared in their host families and with the University's where they will be working,
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