Cher in the World?: Oct 19, 2015

“You sign up for Peace Corps and you think you’re going to save the world. You start Peace Corps and you think you’re going to save a country. You get to site and you think you’re going to save your village. Each day you realize that it is the interactions with various individuals, even just one, throughout your service that mean the most to you.”

With The Brits and Lira Faculty

I have had quite the pick me up. Just as I was celebrating 3 months in PC and wondering what it would take to get my mood up a bit Agnes introduced me to some Medical Personnel who are here from the UK for 2 weeks and eager to help with the students. This is an incredibly energetic and fun group and they are enjoying the students who are studying in all years so much. I've also had the chance to hook up with one of the GHSP volunteers who was here during the first year and to get to know her a bit from emails. The volunteers who are here are a very experienced Midwife, Pediatrician, Surgeon and Critical Care Specialist so I have been joined by these fresh and eager people and we had a dinner with some of the faculty here at my home last night. Now that was a bit of a challenge as Assman, Janet and I prepared dinner for 11 people. Not like just running out to King Soopers and throwing some chips in the cart. We pulled it off nicely though and everyone seemed to leave happy if not exactly full. No way can I cook for a group of Ugandan's! The UK group have been working in Sudan in the past but could not go there so opted to come here and volunteer. I was feeling quite overwhelmed with all that could be done, but have to keep thinking about that first paragraph. I realise that I cannot be everything to everyone all the time, but I try to do as much as I can and I can look at my students and I know that within my group of second years there are those who truly will change the face of nursing in Uganda. There are some very incredible ones and it was so nice to be joined to teach them by some people who are so eager to share their knowledge. They came with interactive power points and teaching aids and really picked the students up. I have very little in the way of teaching aids and won't pass this time up to once again whine about the fact that all I want for Christmas is 40 thermometers, stethoscopes, etc. Teaching assessment with no equipment isn't fun and hanging out in a hospital where there are rooms full of sick and dying people and no equipment is at times very exhausting. So nice to have these new arrivals. We have all spent time working at the hospital in various departments and they feel my students are doing very well, I think so too but of course there is still so much to do and we are almost at the half way point of this semester. They had tried to obtain my email address prior to coming so we could set more up but for one reason or another that did not work out. But here we are and they have had some productive times. They aren't always as busy as they wish they could be but we are trying and I am overjoyed to have this help. The students met us at the front door of the hospital prepared to usher all five of us women to their individual departments and as the other four women went off with students one remaining students said, “Oh, I didn’t get a Mzungu.” They love showing off their skills or asking questions. As it was we all circled around the wards quite a bit. So very many very sick kids, Malaria is still terrible and at least 4 children desperately ill with one oxygen tank. Along with all of the frustrations there are also some good times and it might be obvious that I love the students and what I am doing. This is challenging in ways I cannot describe but then there are those days when it all comes together!