Uganda - February 4, 2013

Today was a travel day which began too early and not well and continued in the same vein.  Up at 5 a.m.(!!).  Breakfast at 5:45.  Got to the dining room to find Sue and Katie still watching the Super Bowl, which they'd gotten up to watch at 4 a.m.!  (I didn't even know who was playing, much less care.)

 

Returned to the room to gather my possessions to load on the bus.  Put my suitcase in the hall for someone to carry down to the bus.  Was in the bathroom making a final pit stop when I thought I heard someone in the room.  Called out several times with no response.  Came out of the bathroom to find my backpack and purse gone -- and the door locked.  It can only be unlocked with a key so fortunately the hotel staff person who had thought he was being helpful and removed my belongings as a part of the "service" was still nearby as I knocked and yelled to be let out.  Just a little unnerving.  I was the last onto the bus but with all possessions intact.

We started off at 7:10, already almost half an hour behind schedule.  We picked up Sarah at the GUW office since she was riding with us to Mbale, her hometown, where she needed to get her kids ready for the new term at school.  The road between Tororo and Mbale was largely dreadful so the going was very slow.  Arrived in Mbale about 8:50.  We did take an unnecessary, but fun, stop at a fabric store recommended by Sarah where several of us made purchases.  We then dropped Sarah off at her home and met three of her four children.  She is a widow with two sets of twins -- one identical, one fraternal.  Wonder what the odds are on that.  Here she is with the children who were home, obviously wonderful kids.

A little after 1 p.m. the bus arrived in Soroti which according to our guide Sam is the 2nd largest town in Uganda.  (I'd been told on a previous trip that there is only one city, Kampala; every other urban entity no matter what its size is a town.)  We had lunch at a nice restaurant at a sort of motel in town.  Back on the road at 2:20.  This was a really good road which actually continued much of the way to Murchison Falls National Park, our destination.

Unfortunately, the good road did not protect us against a flat tire about 4 p.m.  Men came out of the woodwork (actually the nearby buildings) to provide assistance, and earn a little cash.  One even had his own dirty orange jumpsuit which he pulled on as he crossed the road to offer assistance.  They were extremely efficient and got the tire changed in only about 20 minutes.  We later learned of Sam's suspicions that these "helpers" were in collusion with the police who had done a routine traffic stop less than a mile back.  A nail was found in the tire, possibly purposely thrown down as we left that stopping point.

The travelers got off the bus and stood around, I'm sure being a source of amusement for the locals.

We had to make an unexpected, and rather long, stop in Lira to get the tire repaired.  So our journey was further delayed.

We finally reached the gate of the park at 7:30 p.m.  Sam had called ahead to let them know we were late, but when we reached the gate, we were refused admittance because it was after sunset and there is no travel in the park after dark.  It took half an hour to get that resolved and gain admittance and then almost two hours more to drive from the gate to the lodge.  The roads are bad, and the way is slow. . . .

So reached the lodge and our rooms a bit after 10 p.m.  --  15 hours on the road!  We were exhausted.  Thank goodness we've moved into luxury.  The rooms and bathrooms (most significantly) are extremely nice.

Uganda - February 3, 2013

Because this was a slow day for activities, I will use this post to share some pictures of the Prime Hotel, where we've been staying since our arrival in Tororo.  It was an acceptable place -- but far from the luxury level.  (Motel 6, anyone?!)

The exterior is decent, and the lobby pleasant.

The dining room was fine, and WiFi was available there so I spent a lot of time in the dining area checking e-mail and writing my blog.

The rooms were not quite as great as the public spaces.  There was a nice balcony which my roommate Pat used to great advantage for hanging her washing which she did each day.  However, below our balcony was a tent used for some late-night drinking and carousing (by whom I'm not sure) which created some sleep problems several nights.









 

The room itself was okay.  But there were no flat surfaces on which to put one's possessions, the wardrobe door opened only partially (because it ran into a bed), and the bar in it for hanging clothes was so high I had to stand on the bed with one foot, balancing myself with the other foot on a wardrobe shelf, and reach up to attach the hanger to the rack.  Just getting clothes to wear was an adventure!

But the worst was the bathroom. -- Small with a shower head that had no stall/curtain, leaving the entire bathroom wet.  And much of the time there was no hot water; one morning there was NO water.  American standards are not those of much of the world. . . .  At least there was a flush toilet, and it mostly worked.











I had considered going with some of the other volunteers to Eunice's (GUW staff person) Pentecostal church for the cultural experience, but instead I slept until I woke up which made me too late for the service.  According to Mary it really was a fun event; she was very glad she'd made the effort to go.

Instead I had an incredibly leisurely breakfast with Patty, Sue, Pat, and Laurie.  Then I worked on blog stuff (I'm slowly catching up), and was ready for the 12 noon bus to the GUW office (which didn't depart until after 12:30).  There I met with Sarah to talk about Mariam, my sponsored student, and Anna, the woman with whom I'd had my "Day in the Life."  I received more information about Anna.  She cared for her son until he died of AIDS about 5 years ago.  She took insufficient precautions in his care so is herself now HIV positive.  No wonder she appears old and a bit frail (although she can still outwalk me and carry a large water container on her head).

Returned to the hotel to begin organizing and packing for our departure tomorrow.  Also did a lot of blog catchup work.  I enjoy sharing my travels with friends and having all the information fairly well organized by the time I return home from a trip. -- But keeping up can sometimes be a bit of a problem.  So I was appreciative for some free time to bring things up to date.

We had our final dinner at the Prime Hotel with Anika, Sarah, Katie, Eunice, and Conrad, GUW paid and volunteer staff.

Cammie passed on our heartfelt thanks for all the local staff had done to make our stay pleasant, interesting, and productive.  Despite her protests about not liking/being good at public speaking, Cammie has become quite a speech maker.

 Off tomorrow for our mini-safari in western Uganda in Murchison Falls National Park.

Uganda - February 2, 2013

The tactic last night of early to bed worked. -- It took over 10 hours in bed, but I actually got 7 hours of sleep!  Yay!!!

Five of the eight of us had left the hotel at 7 a.m. to climb The Rock, the only listed tourist attraction in Tororo.  I would have loved to have gone but decided sleep was more important.

At 8:40 the bus left the hotel with the rest of us, we picked up some tea and coffee at the GUW office, and headed for a picnic at the Rock, joining those who had hiked.  (Three of the five made it all the way to the top.)  Anika and Katie had picked up hot breakfast items from the hotel, so there was a breakfast picnic at the base.

We returned picnic items to the office and picked up gifts to take to the families we'd be visiting during our "Day in the Life" activity in which each volunteer is partnered with a family.  This year the families were from the Mbera and Diocheny groups; like Kayoro these are rural and farming areas.

The rural nature became evident as the bus went down ever narrower and poor roads.  I was the last to be dropped off, over 90 minutes from starting the journey.  Although I don't typically get car sick, I was beginning to feel queasy after an hour and a half of bumping along those roads.

I was met by Anna Odoi, and we walked about 20 minutes to reach her home.  She has responsibility for a number of grandchildren.  She had only one son, who died of AIDS about five years ago, and whose wife, the mother of the children, left.  So, at age 65 herself HIV positive (from caring for her son and not taking proper precautions), she is the matriarch who tries to take care of the family.  Fortunately, her oldest grandson, Pascali Oroin, is in his early 20's so is able to do a lot of the work on the farm.  Because he finished Senior 4 (first part of high school), he speaks good English so was able to do translating.  It is sad; he would have liked to go on in school (at least A levels at Senior 6), but his father's death precluded that.

Here is Anna at the corner of her home (with roof problems) with grandchildren and neighborhood children.  Children in an area tend to gravitate to wherever things are most interesting or food is being served.

Some of the volunteers had brought crayons and other children's activities so Anika had made up a packet for each of us consisting of crayons, paper, a balloon, and a super ball.  Those served as an icebreaker and enabled the kids to have some unusual and unexpected fun.

For "Day in the Life" the visitors were supposed to participate in activities the family would typically do.  Of course, most of us are incompetent to really do most of the tasks, but we give it a try.  For example, I shelled groundnuts (peanuts).  Here I am doing it, and below are the comparative results of our efforts.  Anna did have someone working with her and did work for a bit longer, but it's still a sad comparison.

We also walked (about 15 minutes) to get water.  It's a really great source --

I tried -- but balancing the small container for just a minute was all I could do.  When I tried to move, I immediately handed off the container to a 10-year old girl!

I didn't try cooking; I just ate a bit of the potatoes and greens prepared for me.  Here is Anna standing in her kitchen and me with the production.

We walked around the fields that will be planted soon with millet and which currently are producing some vegetables.  The family also has a number of chickens which run around and, unfortunately, spend the night in the house (which can transmit diseases to humans).  And they have one cow, which was out grazing, and a calf, tied up near the house.

We sat around at the side of the house, in the shade, which Anna and Pascali assured me they actually do.

The family has a dog, named Doggie (not much originality there!).  It's purpose is as a guard dog.  I'm not sure how great a job it does, but I wasn't sure enough of its health status to even pet it.  That was difficult for me, given how much I love dogs and how much I miss my Katy.

There was a small girl, being tended to by an older sibling, who was incredibly cute.  However, like many of toddler age, my white face scared her.  She would smile at me from a distance but up close she tended to begin wailing.

 
When it came close to time to leave to get back to the road for the bus to pick me up, Anna changed into a better dress.  So, of course, we had to take more pictures.

Along the way to the road we met a neighbor with a cute baby who walked along with us.  We arrived at the road at 5 p.m. 

Unfortunately it was after 6 when the bus arrived.  I was very happy when it finally made it since I was exhausted.

Arrived at the hotel, and there was HOT WATER!  It's a miracle -- actually due to Cammie's checking with the desk and asking for it.  And Anika and Katie had stopped to buy wine so we had liquids inside as well.  The lubrication added to the fun of the group dinner we had during which we shared our "Day" experiences. 

In bed with lights off at 10:30.

Uganda - February 1, 2013

We've had some problems at the hotel getting hot water, but this morning there was NO water.  There went the shower and hair washing I'd planned on.

I wasn't scheduled for any specific activity for today so decided to spend time in the GUW office. 

I wanted to get firmer information on the educational sponsorship program.  That required talking to Sarah and to Eunice, trying to work within their other commitments.

I also used Eunice as a consultant to help me buy a Ugandan dress.  That involves picking out fabric and having a tailor make it up -- within a matter of hours.  The shop she likes/uses is within the market, down a narrow street.  Some of the workers do their tasks on the porch.

The tailor has two large posters, each with 20 or 25 dress style choices.  I would have liked something of a combination, but apparently that's not a possibility so I selected a skirt and top that I thought would look the best and would use the fabric I liked.  She said it would be done at 2, which was only 2 hours away.

We returned to the office for lunch and a little more work.  Returned at 3:15 to find it almost finished.  But, after trying on, it was clear that some alterations were necessary.  So Eunice agreed she would go back when called by the tailor, and I could return to the hotel.  Some of the other volunteers had returned from their activities to the office, but the bus was still out getting the last of them.  Five of us decided to walk from the office to the hotel.  We went a bit astray so had a longer walk than required, but all agreed it was good to stretch out legs.  We've been mostly sitting so definitely could use the exercise.

I was grateful there was hot water so I could clean up before the surprise farewell party for Anika that Sarah had planned.  Anika's contract as African Director is up, and she is ready to return to the USA and Minnesota.  Since this is her last visit in Uganda, GUW and clinic staff and representatives of the boards and community wanted to bid her farewell.  The volunteer dinner was combined with the party so all ate and partyed well.  There were many heartfelt speeches thanking Anika for her service and several sweet gifts.

A good time was had by all as everyone joined together in dancing.

 

I decided to go to bed early (9:15 p.m.) in order to get a reasonable number of hours of sleep.  Apparently I'm fated to be awake for 2 or 3 hours in the middle of each night; maybe this way I can still get 7 or 8 hours of rest.

Uganda - January 31, 2013

Started my day without the normal scrambled eggs; I ordered them twice, but they didn’t arrive until I was ready to leave to get on the bus.  Mariam was waiting at the GUW office.  She is the 15-year old girl (now; only 13 when we met).  I first encountered her on my 2011 trip and have been sponsoring her for school for the last year and a half.  She successfully passed the Primary Leaving Test, pretty amazing given the limited schooling she has had, so is able to go onto secondary school.  Her first choice, Tororo Girls School, did not accept her because her scores were not high enough.  GUW staff will be working to see if she can be admitted to her second choice school.  The new school term begins in mid-February so decisions have to be made in the next few weeks.

Eunice, staff from the GUW office, accompanied Mariam and me on a shopping trip to buy her a new dress and shoes.  When I asked what I might bring her as a gift, dress and shoes were mentioned.  But it is too difficult to buy for someone whose style and size I don’t really know so confirmed with GUW staff that a shopping trip would be possible.  “Downtown” Tororo is a few blocks from the office so the three of us walked there.  Eunice knows the best shops (does her shopping there herself) so was a good guide.  Mariam found a 2-piece outfit at the first store, but no shoes.  Had to go on to a second store for those.  I was surprised at the styles she chose (so it was good she was doing the picking), but the selection looked great on her – very sophisticated and adult-looking.  We didn’t have time to do the shopping I’d wanted for a dress for me as we hurried back to the office in order to head out to the clinic.  Got there to see Cammie and Anika leaving – to change money.  Finally everyone was assembled, and at 10:40 we headed for the Kayoro Health Centre site on the bus.

We arrived about 11:15 to find (no surprise) that nothing was happening in terms of the Opening Ceremony.  Mariam, who had ridden on the bus with us, wanted me to meet her family.  Because she is a total orphan, her guardian is her father’s brother and his wife.  The aunt was very pleasant.  Of course, she talked about the financial difficulties represented by her own children and the orphans.  I’m sure it’s true, but sometimes it seems that everyone is asking for money – directly or subtly.

We chatted for a while; her English is pretty good.  I recognized her as a Kayoro group member,  one of the community health nurses, a training session for whom I observed on my last trip.  Mariam tried on her new dress and shoes; looked quite good.  I took her picture in the new outfit with her aunt, outside their home. 

After she changed back to her previous clothes which looked incredibly hot to me (sweatshirt material and a hood!), we all walked back to the clinic – where nothing was still going on!  Took a picture of Mariam and me and of the three of us.  

Then we separated; Mariam had to go with the children to practice a musical number, and her aunt went to sit with the Kayoro group members in their tent.

Then began the real waiting game.  The Ugandan Minister for Health was coming from Kampala, but her scheduled arrival time kept being put back.  The MCs tried to keep things going, but it was difficult.  Some events could take place before her arrival, but those in charge of the event definitely wanted her to hear most of the speeches.  So we sat around trying not to melt.  Fortunately, I'd positioned myself in a back row so I could get up and move around easily, and, even after the serious speeches began, I could read my Nook or have a bite to eat.  It was generally pretty tedious.

The children's group sang one song and later came back with Mariam singing the solo part.  By the time I realized it was she and tried to get a picture, she was turning around, and all I could see was her back.  Still I was the proud sponsor!

There was singing by four members of the clinic staff.  I wonder how many medical facilities could come up with a group of over 50% of their staff who sing so well.

There was also singing by an adult choir made up of Kayoro Community members.  Another pretty impressive group.

And there was dancing.  Unfortunately I didn't get a picture of that because I was too busy out there dancing myself.  Apparently only the women dance; all seven of us volunteers joined in and had a great, if incredibly hot, time moving around dancing and greeting all of the women out there.

The minister arrived, driving into the compound, getting out of her car, and ceremoniously processing to the table of honor where she was seated with Dr. Epuate, the chair of the clinic committee, Father Olaboro, the chair of GUW Uganda board, and our own Cammie Beattie, representing the volunteers and St. John the Evangelist.

Some speeches began before the Minister arrived, but most occurred after she came.  There were many, and they were flowery and long.  The Ugandan structure of government has many layers, and each had to have a representative who spoke.  The best speeches, from my perspective, were those of the women:  GUW Director (Katie speaking on behalf of Anika who was called away), Volunteer speaker (Cammie), and the Minister herself.

Note that the Minister gets an umbrella for shade unlike any of the other speakers.  Status obviously has its privileges!  She began speaking at 3:30 p.m. which was a good two hours behind schedule.  She finished at 4 p.m. at which time the caterer began putting out food for the Kayoro community.  The honored guests, including the Minister and us volunteers, returned to the Prime Hotel for our "lunch."  I presented the packets of St. John's Christmas cards I had put together (one of each of the four years we have had cards supporting the clinic project) for Dr. Epuate and the other 6 members of the clinic board, Father Olaboro of the GUW board, and the local GUW and clinic staff.

After a 4 p.m. lunch we had a light supper (pizza) about 8, after which I did some computer work, including sending some of the pictures from the opening ceremony to key people at St. John's.  Then off to bed.