Hey all- sorry it's been so long since my last post. I just got back from a weekend trip to Zanzibar. This island is only an hour and a half flight off the coast of Tanzania. Zanzibar is a unique island as it has been influenced by so many different cultures that have competed for the island. The most predominant religion on the island is Islam with 98% of the population in practice. This predominent religion and culture projects itself on the over all feel of this beautiful place. The buildings in Stone Town are beautifully white and are built with Indian, Persian, and European architecture styles. The people are beautifully dressed in fabrics with magnificent colors and designs. I abaolutely love the island because it is something so different to experience.
After walking around Stone Town, we settled at a Sunset bar at The African House Hotel. We got drinks and met up with a friend Annie made in the Cairo airport during her journey to Tanzania. He is a student at Northwestern University Working for a NGO organization that helps schools in Zanzibar. After seeing the beautiful sunsets across the Indian Ocean, we went into the center of town to a place called the Forodhani Gardens for dinner. The garden area was packed with different venders making delicious variations of foods. There were over 50 different stands selling different parts of dinner. We first tried a traditional Znanzibarian style pizza that looked and tasted more like an omelette. We then tried the freshly juiced sugar cane drink while waiting for our seafood on a stick to be warmed up. Everything was so amazingly fresh and prepared right before us. We ate our meal sitting on the concrete ledge overlooking the harbor.
We walked a little ways on the edge of the beach to Freddy Mercury's Bar. We sat and enjoyed looking at all the pictures of his band Queen. Today was also a
Day that celebrated Nelson Mandela so we cheers to freedom.
On our way back from Mercury's Restaurant, we stopped at a stand to order banana and nutella chapate for dessert. Jere we ran into 2 volunteers from the states. One from Ohio and one from the Kansas City area (Leawood)!! Such a small world.
Saturday morning we got up early to get a taxi and drive about an hour to Nunguwi, a small town on the north part of the west coast. We checked into our little bungalow which was only a few steps off the white sandy beach. We grabbed lunch on the beach and then claimed our groups for the rest of the afternoon to bask in the sun. The day was perfect. The view of the water and the sailboats out at sea was surreal. We couldn't believe we were there.
Sunday morning we got up to head back to Stone Town to met up with Blair. He set up a boat cruise out to Priion Island. This day was also perfect. The island had giant tortoises and a prison that was used back in the days of the slave trade. The water and views were breath taking. We had the opportunity to snorkle off Prison Island. I was so supprised of all the colorful fish and coral we saw. I did not expect to see the exotic sea life.
For dinner, we went back to The African House to enjoy the sunset on our last night. We took many beautiful sunset pictures and sat on the cozy couches to enjoy our meal. The weekend was packed with so many fun events. We were so lucky to have the opportunity to travel here. I loved every second.
I have one more full day with Annie in Arusha, then I make the journey back home to Kansas.
I cannot wait to share my pictures for you all to see!
Love,
Kelley
Monday, July 18, 2011
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Getting Jigger with It
Aye aye aye. Well, I can cross of an African parasite from the bucket list. This morning I noticed an abnormal pain/cramping on the bottom of my foot and tried to ignore it because my feet are usually acting up in some way or another (my high arches and strange joints) but the pain presisted longer than usual. I tried to look at the site where the pain was coming from, but found it was at an odd place that is hard to view without a mirror. After some uncomfortable turning and bending, sure enough there it was, a jigger embeded in my skin. A jigger is a type of sand flea that is poor at jumping, so they are found commonly Taking residence on the feet and legs of humans and animals.
I won't go into the gory details of it's removal, but rest assured it is now gone. There is now a rather large open wound on the bottom of my foot that I need to be especially meticulous about keeping clean and free from infection.
That was the highlight of the day at the office. We didn't go to the school today because there were no after school programs planned for today.
I went to TGT, a restaurant to eat 1/2 price sushi with Annie, Sarah, and Ann. There was a beautiful sunset falling into the mountains in the distance. It was a nice evening.
Only one more week here :(
Love,
Kelley
I won't go into the gory details of it's removal, but rest assured it is now gone. There is now a rather large open wound on the bottom of my foot that I need to be especially meticulous about keeping clean and free from infection.
That was the highlight of the day at the office. We didn't go to the school today because there were no after school programs planned for today.
I went to TGT, a restaurant to eat 1/2 price sushi with Annie, Sarah, and Ann. There was a beautiful sunset falling into the mountains in the distance. It was a nice evening.
Only one more week here :(
Love,
Kelley
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
The Foundation For Tomorrow
Hello everyone!! Tuesday was a great day here in Tanzania. I went to work with Annie today to get more educated about the non profit organization she is interning with. We got to the office at 8:30 and Annie got some work done before we went to the local Maasai market. We were so overwhelmed with all the venders and the shouting in Swahili. After about 3 hours of bargaining and spending we made it out with some great buys. From the market we went to eat lunch at The Blue Heron restaurant. We all displayed out purchases and then enjoyed a delicious meal.
We made it back to the office just in time to get in the car and drive to Usa River Academy. Annie and I sat with some of the girls so that Annie could get some more information on them to update their profiles. They opened up to us and even performed a dance for us!
After the afternoon at school, we were dropped off at the apartment and we decoded to stay in and cook dinner. We had some noodles so we went out to the street to buy some fresh fruits and vegetables to add to our pasta sauce. We enjoyed our meal by the fire in the lodge. We were so tired from the long day, we were in bed with the lights out (technically they were always out because we didn't have power all day-lamps is more appropriate) by 8:30p. We were prepared for the much needed sleep after such a productive day.
Kelley
We made it back to the office just in time to get in the car and drive to Usa River Academy. Annie and I sat with some of the girls so that Annie could get some more information on them to update their profiles. They opened up to us and even performed a dance for us!
After the afternoon at school, we were dropped off at the apartment and we decoded to stay in and cook dinner. We had some noodles so we went out to the street to buy some fresh fruits and vegetables to add to our pasta sauce. We enjoyed our meal by the fire in the lodge. We were so tired from the long day, we were in bed with the lights out (technically they were always out because we didn't have power all day-lamps is more appropriate) by 8:30p. We were prepared for the much needed sleep after such a productive day.
Kelley
Monday, July 11, 2011
Tanzania: A New Adventure Begins
Hey everyone!! I decided that I should continue the blog throughout my stay here in Arusha, Tanzania. I miss Meg and Remi so much and I hope their travels went well. Writing on this won't be the same without them. Ok I'm going to tell you what I've been unto since the girls and I went our separate ways...
After I said my goodbyes to the girls in the Entebbe Airport, a new leaf was turned. I was on my own and on my way to Tanzania. Remi and Meg's flight was at 9:00am and mine wasn't until 1:30pm. I twiddled my thumbs in the cafe just outside security til they allowed me to go through border control and into the terminal. I shopped a little bit, checked out the overpriced shops, then waited until it wad my turn to get into the air.
The flight from Entebbe, Uganda to Kilamanjaro was only about an hour and a half. I could hardly sit back and relax because I was so excited. We were making our final descent when the pilot came over the intercom and told everyone to look out the left side of the plane to see Mount Kilamanjaro! The sky was so clear I could see the summit at eye level as we were just starting our descent, to describe how high this mountain is. Getting my visa ($100) and customs was a breeze. I had to get a cab for the 45 minute drive because the free shuttle service conveniently wasn't running. A part of me was a little skeptical of the idea, but when in Africa, take what you can get. I made contact with Annie and met up with her at her apartment. We were so excited to see each other. We grabbed a roadside roasted corn on the cob and tried to exchange some of our many stories. We then went with some other people Annie works with to grab dinner at a beautiful bar where a lot of mizungos (white people) hang out. We enjoyed a local beer with our pizza and we visited with everyone.
Saturday morning we woke up and prepared ourselves for a two day, one night safari!! Annie, her roommate, Sarah, Colleen (Annies friend from Chicago working here) and Karim(a guy Colleen knows from work) and I left at 9:00am for a two hour drive to a campsite we were to stay at for the night. Once we got there,we pitched our tents for tonight. We then headed out for our safari near Lake Manyara. The weather was so beautiful it made the day perfect. We saw so much wild life I couldn't believe it! We saw elephants, monkeys, baboons, wildebeests, warthogs, zebras, giraffes, and buffalo. All before luck time. Our lunch was set up on a cliff that overlooked the Lake and a grassland where elephants were grazing. The rest of the afternoon, we were able to get great up close pictures of the animals that got so close to our jeep.
Dinner was at 7:00 back at the campsite so we sat by the pool and drank wine to pass the time. Dinner was delicious. Cucumber soup, Fish and rice with fresh veggies and banana fritters for dessert.
Sunday morning came way too fast with my alarm going off at 5:00 to eat breakfast then we were to leave and go to the Ngorongoro Crater. This is one of the best places in Africa to find so many different animals all in one location. We saw many, many animals including two huge lions and a large pack of lionesses. The zebras were my favorite though. The weather was extremely chilly and windy, but it cleared up after our lunch by the hippo pool. I have been so lucky to have another safari experience during my time here in Africa.
We left the crater around 1:00 and went back to the campsite to gather up everything from camping. I bought a few souviners including a beautiful painting done by a local artist. We made our way back to Arusha by 5:00. After our much needed showers, Annie, Sarah, and I ate dinner in the lodge and discussed the highlights of one of my top 10 weekends.
Monday, (today) Annie and I woke up and went on a run through town. It is much different from the quiet, rural Kyarusozi as we had to dodge people and polluting vehicles on the busy road. It wasn't the same without Remi and the rest of the kids, but it was nice to have Annie. I then went with her to work. Annie is working at an organization called The Foundation For Tomorrow which finds sponsors for children in the different orphanages here in Arusha to help support them to go to school. I am excited to see the kids at the orphanages as well as the schools and see how different they are from Kyarusozi. Im sitting at work with her now finding out more about this foundation. I guess that's all for now!
Love,
Kelley
After I said my goodbyes to the girls in the Entebbe Airport, a new leaf was turned. I was on my own and on my way to Tanzania. Remi and Meg's flight was at 9:00am and mine wasn't until 1:30pm. I twiddled my thumbs in the cafe just outside security til they allowed me to go through border control and into the terminal. I shopped a little bit, checked out the overpriced shops, then waited until it wad my turn to get into the air.
The flight from Entebbe, Uganda to Kilamanjaro was only about an hour and a half. I could hardly sit back and relax because I was so excited. We were making our final descent when the pilot came over the intercom and told everyone to look out the left side of the plane to see Mount Kilamanjaro! The sky was so clear I could see the summit at eye level as we were just starting our descent, to describe how high this mountain is. Getting my visa ($100) and customs was a breeze. I had to get a cab for the 45 minute drive because the free shuttle service conveniently wasn't running. A part of me was a little skeptical of the idea, but when in Africa, take what you can get. I made contact with Annie and met up with her at her apartment. We were so excited to see each other. We grabbed a roadside roasted corn on the cob and tried to exchange some of our many stories. We then went with some other people Annie works with to grab dinner at a beautiful bar where a lot of mizungos (white people) hang out. We enjoyed a local beer with our pizza and we visited with everyone.
Saturday morning we woke up and prepared ourselves for a two day, one night safari!! Annie, her roommate, Sarah, Colleen (Annies friend from Chicago working here) and Karim(a guy Colleen knows from work) and I left at 9:00am for a two hour drive to a campsite we were to stay at for the night. Once we got there,we pitched our tents for tonight. We then headed out for our safari near Lake Manyara. The weather was so beautiful it made the day perfect. We saw so much wild life I couldn't believe it! We saw elephants, monkeys, baboons, wildebeests, warthogs, zebras, giraffes, and buffalo. All before luck time. Our lunch was set up on a cliff that overlooked the Lake and a grassland where elephants were grazing. The rest of the afternoon, we were able to get great up close pictures of the animals that got so close to our jeep.
Dinner was at 7:00 back at the campsite so we sat by the pool and drank wine to pass the time. Dinner was delicious. Cucumber soup, Fish and rice with fresh veggies and banana fritters for dessert.
Sunday morning came way too fast with my alarm going off at 5:00 to eat breakfast then we were to leave and go to the Ngorongoro Crater. This is one of the best places in Africa to find so many different animals all in one location. We saw many, many animals including two huge lions and a large pack of lionesses. The zebras were my favorite though. The weather was extremely chilly and windy, but it cleared up after our lunch by the hippo pool. I have been so lucky to have another safari experience during my time here in Africa.
We left the crater around 1:00 and went back to the campsite to gather up everything from camping. I bought a few souviners including a beautiful painting done by a local artist. We made our way back to Arusha by 5:00. After our much needed showers, Annie, Sarah, and I ate dinner in the lodge and discussed the highlights of one of my top 10 weekends.
Monday, (today) Annie and I woke up and went on a run through town. It is much different from the quiet, rural Kyarusozi as we had to dodge people and polluting vehicles on the busy road. It wasn't the same without Remi and the rest of the kids, but it was nice to have Annie. I then went with her to work. Annie is working at an organization called The Foundation For Tomorrow which finds sponsors for children in the different orphanages here in Arusha to help support them to go to school. I am excited to see the kids at the orphanages as well as the schools and see how different they are from Kyarusozi. Im sitting at work with her now finding out more about this foundation. I guess that's all for now!
Love,
Kelley
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Last Day in Kyarusozi
Today was a sad day for all of us. Last night we handed out our clothes and said our goodbyes to the kids from the neighborhood. We woke up this morning for our last 6:45am run with our CC team. We were prepared to say bye to them, but boy were we wrong. It turned out that all the kids that we have gotten to know the past 6 weeks had skipped school for the day in order to spend the rest of the morning with us before our ride came at 11:00. It was so hard to see their sad faces as we played with them. Once we started putting bags in the car, the tears for all of us started to flow. The one child who won our hearts with his mischievous ways and ornery behavior, Ricky (5) let down his gaurd and started sobbing. This made us all break down.
It is so sad that our time here has come to an end. We have learned so much in this short time in Uganda. Our experience here has broadended our minds and expanded our hearts to a different way of living that is not necessarily bad because it is different. We hope that our stories when we are home will paint the picture of the beautiful country and people we have come to know and love.
Kelley, Meg, and Remi
P.S Meg and Remi get back to the states on July 9th and Kelley will return after her trip to Tanzania to see her teammate Annie on July 20.
It is so sad that our time here has come to an end. We have learned so much in this short time in Uganda. Our experience here has broadended our minds and expanded our hearts to a different way of living that is not necessarily bad because it is different. We hope that our stories when we are home will paint the picture of the beautiful country and people we have come to know and love.
Kelley, Meg, and Remi
P.S Meg and Remi get back to the states on July 9th and Kelley will return after her trip to Tanzania to see her teammate Annie on July 20.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Day 37: Living HIV Positve-ly
Oliyo ota! Today was another great day at the clinic. Remi was in Pharmacy, Meg was in Maternity, and Kelley was in Admissions/Room 2. About half way through our day, Sister Edith asked us to attend an HIV+ support group meeting that is held monthly at the clinic. Edith wanted us to introduce ourselves and teach the group about healthy HIV+ lifestyles. We talked about having a positive attitude, physical and spiritual health, prevention of transmission, and answered questions that the group offered to us. The group introduced themselves to us and told us their mission and what they wanted to accomplish. Their main focus was all about having a positive attitude and helping each other with the various struggles that HIV/AIDS brings. We were all so touched to see everyone's positive attitude and sense of hope in spite of living with this terminal illness. They will all serve as a lifetime inspiration to us. The group also preformed a few songs for us and we couldn't help but join them in the clapping and dancing. It was so wonderful to share their love for life.
After work we took advantage of the weather and walked home one last time. The walk that used to take us an hour and a half, now takes us only one! We finished up the day with packing and playing with the kids. Tomorrow will be our last day at the clinic so we will have to say our goodbyes. We cannot believe how fast this trip has gone by. We can all say that our lives have been deeply touched by these past six weeks in more ways that you can imagine.
Magie, Cellen, and Rrrraymee (the phonetic pronunciation of our names according to the kids and pretty much everyone we meet)
After work we took advantage of the weather and walked home one last time. The walk that used to take us an hour and a half, now takes us only one! We finished up the day with packing and playing with the kids. Tomorrow will be our last day at the clinic so we will have to say our goodbyes. We cannot believe how fast this trip has gone by. We can all say that our lives have been deeply touched by these past six weeks in more ways that you can imagine.
Magie, Cellen, and Rrrraymee (the phonetic pronunciation of our names according to the kids and pretty much everyone we meet)
Monday, July 4, 2011
Day 36: Happy Fourth of July
Hello! Nothing really out of the ordinary happened today. We had a good day at the clinic. It was pretty busy today! When we got home we began the inevitable task of getting our things ready to go home. Then finished the day with playing with the kids. Before we had dinner Stella prepared a great meal and she insisted that we sing the national anthem. It was so great!
We hope all is well with everyone at home and that you are enjoying the holiday!
See you soon,
Meg, Kelley, and Remi
We hope all is well with everyone at home and that you are enjoying the holiday!
See you soon,
Meg, Kelley, and Remi
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Day 33, 34, 35: So Good to see You Again Jinja!
Hello everyone!!! What a fun and exciting weekend we had! We woke up at 5am on Friday morning and made our way back to Jinja for an early Fourth of July celebration on a cruise over lake Victoria. We passed by the Source of the Nile as we were enjoying our veggies and hummus. It was so much fun! The two Notre Dame students living across the street came with us and we met up with about 15 other Notre Dame students that are wroking in various parts of Uganda. It was so neat to talk with everyone and see what differences they are making here as well. We don't think we will ever escape the Notre Dame/Saint Mary's bubble. Which isn't a bad thing!
Since we weren't testing our fate and white water rafting on The Nile again, on Saturday the five of us hung out by the pool and later made our way to Jinja town to do a little bit more shopping. It was just a nice and relaxing afternoon. Once everyone else got back from rafting we ate dinner and hing out by the campsite for the rest of the evening.
We woke up early this morning and made our way back home. The journey back home today was heavenly compared to last time! There were no giant public buses or vomiting passengers anywhere to be found! We made our way through the busy streets of Kampala and found our driver without a problem. It just goes to show how much we have grown in the past six weeks!
After our weekend of fun we are ready to head back to the clinic tomorrow. We all cannot believe this is our last week. It is going to be so sad leaving everyone here. We can only hope that we have made as much of an impact on the people we met here as they have made on us. The people we have come in contact with over these past six weeks have changed our lives tremendously. We have definitely built relationships that will hopefully last forever!
Love to all and see you in less than ONE WEEK!
Remi, Meg, and Kelley
Since we weren't testing our fate and white water rafting on The Nile again, on Saturday the five of us hung out by the pool and later made our way to Jinja town to do a little bit more shopping. It was just a nice and relaxing afternoon. Once everyone else got back from rafting we ate dinner and hing out by the campsite for the rest of the evening.
We woke up early this morning and made our way back home. The journey back home today was heavenly compared to last time! There were no giant public buses or vomiting passengers anywhere to be found! We made our way through the busy streets of Kampala and found our driver without a problem. It just goes to show how much we have grown in the past six weeks!
After our weekend of fun we are ready to head back to the clinic tomorrow. We all cannot believe this is our last week. It is going to be so sad leaving everyone here. We can only hope that we have made as much of an impact on the people we met here as they have made on us. The people we have come in contact with over these past six weeks have changed our lives tremendously. We have definitely built relationships that will hopefully last forever!
Love to all and see you in less than ONE WEEK!
Remi, Meg, and Kelley
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Day 32: The Clinic
Hi everybody!
We just got home from our last Thursday working at the clinic. We cannot believe our trip has gone by so fast. We were able to start more IV's today and then headed to another primary school to immunize more young girls. The children and teachers at the school we went to today had never seen a white person before. They all sprinted to the car as soon as we pulled up and continued to swarm in on us and stare for the next three hours. We immunized 150 girls and then went back to the clinic. We are really looking forward to our 4th of July weekend in Jinja with a large group of Notre Dame students that are working in different parts of Eastern Uganda. We will talk to you all on Sunday or Monday. Have a fun and safe 4th of July!
Love you!
Kelley, Remi, and Meg
We just got home from our last Thursday working at the clinic. We cannot believe our trip has gone by so fast. We were able to start more IV's today and then headed to another primary school to immunize more young girls. The children and teachers at the school we went to today had never seen a white person before. They all sprinted to the car as soon as we pulled up and continued to swarm in on us and stare for the next three hours. We immunized 150 girls and then went back to the clinic. We are really looking forward to our 4th of July weekend in Jinja with a large group of Notre Dame students that are working in different parts of Eastern Uganda. We will talk to you all on Sunday or Monday. Have a fun and safe 4th of July!
Love you!
Kelley, Remi, and Meg
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Day 30 and 31: Busy Bees
Hello everyone!
Sorry we didn't blog last night. Yet again, the power was out last night. We had another great day outreaching yesterday. We went to another village where women came with their young babies to be immunized. We immunized 28 babies, so it was a relatively slow day. When we were finished, we packed everything up and were pulling out on our way back to the clinic, we noticed a few mothers who had arrived late. We stopped the car and had to give immunizations out of the back of the truck, in the middle of the road. Only in Africa!
Today we finally got to spend the entire day at the clinic instead of outreaching, which we have been doing so much of lately. Remi and Kelley each started an IV today. Kelley's patient of 3 and a half years old, was suffering of severe malaria. When she was inserting the cannula he did not cry or even pull away. This is clear evidence of just how sick this little boy was. Since it was finally a nice day out, and the sun was shining, we walked home and made great timing. It was so nice to see the beautiful scenery and talk to the local people. Our knowledge of the Rutooro language is growing, allowing us to carry on short conversations with the people we encounter. It is really apparent just how happy they are that we are taking the time to learn their language. Their smiles and little giggles are so heart warming. We now have to head back to the kitchen and make some chipates! Talk to you tomorrow...if the power is on ;).
Love you all!
Remi, Kelley, and Meg
Sorry we didn't blog last night. Yet again, the power was out last night. We had another great day outreaching yesterday. We went to another village where women came with their young babies to be immunized. We immunized 28 babies, so it was a relatively slow day. When we were finished, we packed everything up and were pulling out on our way back to the clinic, we noticed a few mothers who had arrived late. We stopped the car and had to give immunizations out of the back of the truck, in the middle of the road. Only in Africa!
Today we finally got to spend the entire day at the clinic instead of outreaching, which we have been doing so much of lately. Remi and Kelley each started an IV today. Kelley's patient of 3 and a half years old, was suffering of severe malaria. When she was inserting the cannula he did not cry or even pull away. This is clear evidence of just how sick this little boy was. Since it was finally a nice day out, and the sun was shining, we walked home and made great timing. It was so nice to see the beautiful scenery and talk to the local people. Our knowledge of the Rutooro language is growing, allowing us to carry on short conversations with the people we encounter. It is really apparent just how happy they are that we are taking the time to learn their language. Their smiles and little giggles are so heart warming. We now have to head back to the kitchen and make some chipates! Talk to you tomorrow...if the power is on ;).
Love you all!
Remi, Kelley, and Meg
Monday, June 27, 2011
Day 26, 27, 28, 29: The Rains Are Blessed Down in Africa
Hello everyone! Please do not take our lack of blog posting personally! We have had a storm everyday for the past four days and the power goes out so easily! So finally, here we are!
This past weekend was really great. it was nice to just relax at the convent for a change. Friday at the clinic went really well for all of us. Right when we got there a mom was in labor and about to deliver. So we got to assist with that. Shortly after we headed to another school to give more tetanus shots. It was a great day!!
On Saturday we went to Fort Portal with Dr. Traxler and her daughter so they could have a chance to see the town. Naturally we managed to do a little more shopping! Later in the afternoon Sister Lillian took us all on a trip to the Kabale Forest. While driving through we saw numerous monkeys and a huge black cobra! It was nasty/terrifying. After that we headed back to Kyarusozi and relaxed and gave our little house a much needed cleaning!
On Sunday we woke up for mass at 8am. While we were sitting waiting for mass to begin, a little boy about the age of 5 came and sat right next to us. He was all by himself but had no problem sitting next to three mizungos that he had never met! He was so adorable in his suit. He even had a shilling in his hand for the offertory. It was inspiring to see this little boy giving what he could to God, while he himself has so little. The mass itself is just so beautiful. The music is indescribable. It literally just lifts your heart. The people sing with so much soul and you can't help but clap your hands along with them. We all felt very uplifted after leaving mass! Because it was Sunday, it was our turn to cook dinner. So we all decided to make breakfast for dinner. We made french toast, eggs, potatoes and assorted fruits. It was so delicious and reminded all of us of home!
Today was another exciting day at the clinic. Shortly after we arrived, a woman came to the clinic in active labor. The first thing we noticed was how huge her belly was! We thought for sure there had to be two babies in there. After a few minutes of pushing, the woman's water finally broke/exploded. It was literally like a waterfall coming out of this woman's uterus. It covered the delivery table and wall. It was UNREAL!!!!!! After a little more pushing, the baby began to crown and in no time, came out, with yet another waterfall of amniotic fluid. Grace, the midwife, confirmed that the mother was not carrying twins, but had sever hydraminos (excess amount of amniotic fluid). Due to the hydraminos, the baby suffered greatly. When they baby was born her was completely cyanotic (blue) and not breathing. We immediately brought the baby over to the crib and preformed resuscitation. An entire 5 minutes went by before this baby took its first strong breath. We were all so terrified. God was definitely in the delivery room and saved this beautiful baby boy. After this life threatening experience we headed for yet another outreach. Today we went to a primary school in Kihumuro to give more tetanus shots. This was such a wonderful and stress free experience. The children were so well behaved. Not a single one screamed or cried. We were on cloud nine! We also vaccinated a handful of boys who had serious open wounds and/or ulcers on their legs and feet.
It was a great day with lots of experience! We hope all is well with everyone at home. We can all hardly believe our trip is coming to an end so soon. The time has literally flown by. It has just been the most amazing experience of our lives.
Love to all and talk to you soon!
Meg, Kelley, and Remi
This past weekend was really great. it was nice to just relax at the convent for a change. Friday at the clinic went really well for all of us. Right when we got there a mom was in labor and about to deliver. So we got to assist with that. Shortly after we headed to another school to give more tetanus shots. It was a great day!!
On Saturday we went to Fort Portal with Dr. Traxler and her daughter so they could have a chance to see the town. Naturally we managed to do a little more shopping! Later in the afternoon Sister Lillian took us all on a trip to the Kabale Forest. While driving through we saw numerous monkeys and a huge black cobra! It was nasty/terrifying. After that we headed back to Kyarusozi and relaxed and gave our little house a much needed cleaning!
On Sunday we woke up for mass at 8am. While we were sitting waiting for mass to begin, a little boy about the age of 5 came and sat right next to us. He was all by himself but had no problem sitting next to three mizungos that he had never met! He was so adorable in his suit. He even had a shilling in his hand for the offertory. It was inspiring to see this little boy giving what he could to God, while he himself has so little. The mass itself is just so beautiful. The music is indescribable. It literally just lifts your heart. The people sing with so much soul and you can't help but clap your hands along with them. We all felt very uplifted after leaving mass! Because it was Sunday, it was our turn to cook dinner. So we all decided to make breakfast for dinner. We made french toast, eggs, potatoes and assorted fruits. It was so delicious and reminded all of us of home!
Today was another exciting day at the clinic. Shortly after we arrived, a woman came to the clinic in active labor. The first thing we noticed was how huge her belly was! We thought for sure there had to be two babies in there. After a few minutes of pushing, the woman's water finally broke/exploded. It was literally like a waterfall coming out of this woman's uterus. It covered the delivery table and wall. It was UNREAL!!!!!! After a little more pushing, the baby began to crown and in no time, came out, with yet another waterfall of amniotic fluid. Grace, the midwife, confirmed that the mother was not carrying twins, but had sever hydraminos (excess amount of amniotic fluid). Due to the hydraminos, the baby suffered greatly. When they baby was born her was completely cyanotic (blue) and not breathing. We immediately brought the baby over to the crib and preformed resuscitation. An entire 5 minutes went by before this baby took its first strong breath. We were all so terrified. God was definitely in the delivery room and saved this beautiful baby boy. After this life threatening experience we headed for yet another outreach. Today we went to a primary school in Kihumuro to give more tetanus shots. This was such a wonderful and stress free experience. The children were so well behaved. Not a single one screamed or cried. We were on cloud nine! We also vaccinated a handful of boys who had serious open wounds and/or ulcers on their legs and feet.
It was a great day with lots of experience! We hope all is well with everyone at home. We can all hardly believe our trip is coming to an end so soon. The time has literally flown by. It has just been the most amazing experience of our lives.
Love to all and talk to you soon!
Meg, Kelley, and Remi
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Day 24, 25: Work, work, work!
Hello everyone! Sorry it has been so long yet again. We have had some bad storms these past couple days and the power has been going in and out! Everything has been going really well over here. This week we all have been assigned new jobs. Meg is in admission/Room 2, Kelley is in maternity, and Remi is in pharmacy. It is nice to switch things up a bit! These past couple days we have been doing a lot of outreaching at primary schools. In the last two days we have given over 200 tetanus shots to these school aged girls. We can all say we are getting pretty good at our IM shots!
Yesterday Dr. Traxler (the chair of the Education Dept. at SMC) and her daughter, Elizabeth, came for their visit. It is so nice having them here! Elizabeth just finished her first year of med school. so she was really excited to come to the clinic with us today and get some great experience!
Aside from our time at the clinic, we have been enjoying out time with the neighborhood kids who we have become so close with. We all wish we could bring them home with us. These kids have taught us so much in the short time we have been here in Uganda. They are just so happy and full of life. We hope to bring home with us their extreme optimism and love for life. They constantly remind us to be grateful for what we have and to never take a day for granted.
Hope all is well with everyone at home! Love to all.
Meg, Kelley, and Remi
Yesterday Dr. Traxler (the chair of the Education Dept. at SMC) and her daughter, Elizabeth, came for their visit. It is so nice having them here! Elizabeth just finished her first year of med school. so she was really excited to come to the clinic with us today and get some great experience!
Aside from our time at the clinic, we have been enjoying out time with the neighborhood kids who we have become so close with. We all wish we could bring them home with us. These kids have taught us so much in the short time we have been here in Uganda. They are just so happy and full of life. We hope to bring home with us their extreme optimism and love for life. They constantly remind us to be grateful for what we have and to never take a day for granted.
Hope all is well with everyone at home! Love to all.
Meg, Kelley, and Remi
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Day 20, 21, 22, 23: In The Jungle, The Mighty Jungle....
Hello everyone! Sorry it has been so long! This past weekend we traveled to the Southern Hemisphere to Queen Elizabeth National Park. We stayed at a lovely cottage and went on two safaris! The first was a water safari where we saw: hippos, water buffalo, crocodiles, elephants, monkeys, birds, leopard (very rare to see), and a lion! It was so fun! There were people from all over the world on the boat, so it was nice to hear about their travels as well. After the safari, we took some time to use the health club/spa and have a great workout! We all agreed that it felt so great to use a treadmill again! After we got cleaned up, we all enjoyed n absolutely DELICIOUS dinner with Sister Lillian at the lodge's restaurant. We dinned by candlelight and enjoyed the company of the creepy flying bats around our heads. A little too close at times.
The next morning we woke up bright and early to head out for our land safari! We traveled in a roofless truck to the Savanna. Here were saw an endless amount of animals: Kob (antelope), warthogs (Pumba), elephants, lions and lionesses (Simba and Nala), monkeys (Rafiki), and a hippo on the way back to the lodge! After the safari was over we did some last minute shopping at the gift shops and headed back to Fort Portal.
Today was another great day at the clinic. Right when we arrived there was a young woman in labor with her seventh child. We learned that this woman was HIV positive and only had one living child of her seven pregnancies. The mother did not receive medical care in time to prevent transmission of the virus to her babies. This baby, born today, will be tested in approximately two months to see if lifetime HIV medication will be needed. It is very likely that this baby will acquire the virus because the mother has no choice but to breastfeed her baby. She does not have the money for alternative feeding methods. In order for her baby not to starve to death, it has not choice but to become HIV positive through its own nourishment. We were all just so shocked to be a part of this experience. Back home, a woman in this same situation would have the best possible care available to her and endless resources to assist her during pregnancy and after delivery. It was a very eye-opening experience.
Since it was Tuesday, we headed out for another Outreach experience. Today's was a much better experience than last week because we set up an organized station and had the mother's form lines with their infants while waiting to receive the immunizations. It ran very smoothly! We also provided antenatal care in the field. This included prenatal assessments and tetanus shots.
It was a good days work and it feels so great to be back here in Kyarusozi with the Sisters!
Love,
Kelley, Meg and Remi
The next morning we woke up bright and early to head out for our land safari! We traveled in a roofless truck to the Savanna. Here were saw an endless amount of animals: Kob (antelope), warthogs (Pumba), elephants, lions and lionesses (Simba and Nala), monkeys (Rafiki), and a hippo on the way back to the lodge! After the safari was over we did some last minute shopping at the gift shops and headed back to Fort Portal.
Today was another great day at the clinic. Right when we arrived there was a young woman in labor with her seventh child. We learned that this woman was HIV positive and only had one living child of her seven pregnancies. The mother did not receive medical care in time to prevent transmission of the virus to her babies. This baby, born today, will be tested in approximately two months to see if lifetime HIV medication will be needed. It is very likely that this baby will acquire the virus because the mother has no choice but to breastfeed her baby. She does not have the money for alternative feeding methods. In order for her baby not to starve to death, it has not choice but to become HIV positive through its own nourishment. We were all just so shocked to be a part of this experience. Back home, a woman in this same situation would have the best possible care available to her and endless resources to assist her during pregnancy and after delivery. It was a very eye-opening experience.
Since it was Tuesday, we headed out for another Outreach experience. Today's was a much better experience than last week because we set up an organized station and had the mother's form lines with their infants while waiting to receive the immunizations. It ran very smoothly! We also provided antenatal care in the field. This included prenatal assessments and tetanus shots.
It was a good days work and it feels so great to be back here in Kyarusozi with the Sisters!
Love,
Kelley, Meg and Remi
Friday, June 17, 2011
Day 19: Friday, Friday...
Hey guys! We are still enjoying running with the kids at all hours of the day. It continues to amaze us that most children run barefoot, often in their school uniforms, or worn out clothes that they wear every day. We have closets full of clothes at home while these children show up to play in the same outfit every day.
Today was a relatively slow day at the clinic due to the rain. We all assumed our same jobs for this week. Nothing too big happened to any one of us.
Tonight was game night with the sisters, so we busted out the Rummikub and Uno. The competitive side of the sisters really comes out strong on game night! We are all going to bed early tonight to get ready for our big safari trip in Kasesse. It should be a great adventure!! Talk to you on Tuesday when we return!
Love,
Meg, Remi, and Kelley
Today was a relatively slow day at the clinic due to the rain. We all assumed our same jobs for this week. Nothing too big happened to any one of us.
Tonight was game night with the sisters, so we busted out the Rummikub and Uno. The competitive side of the sisters really comes out strong on game night! We are all going to bed early tonight to get ready for our big safari trip in Kasesse. It should be a great adventure!! Talk to you on Tuesday when we return!
Love,
Meg, Remi, and Kelley
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Day 18: Another Day at the Clinic
Hello everyone! Sorry you didn't hear from us last night. The internet has a mind of its own over here and last night it wasn't working with us! Today was another great day at the clinic. Again, Meg was in maternity, Kelley was in Pharmacy, and Remi was in admission/room 2. Meg is becoming an expert at feeling fundal height and hearing fetal heart tones, Kelley was able to do another dressing change and tetanus boosters. Remi is slowly but surely learning the local lingo in her duties at the admission table. And inserting a few IVs here and there! We are all adapting very well at the clinic! It is so hard to paint a picture of what it is like at the clinic. It just breaks our heart to see how much they are lacking in supplies that are so common to us. For example, blankets and towels are in abundance at the hospitals at home, but here there is not a single one. Because of the lack of basic supplies, a mother was forced to take off her child's clothes to clean up the mess after the child got sick.
We were able to go to another outreach to a nearby village, Kasaba. The outreach was held at a very small church made completely of earth, no bigger than a single SMC dorm room. It was so crowded, hot, and there was absolutely no light. We were all frustrated today because it was very chaotic and could not get the mothers to form a line to make things run more smoothly. Over these past few weeks we have learned, in situations like these, to just roll with it and do what we can.
Hope all is well with everyone back home! We can't believe that tomorrow will make our halfway point of our trip. Holy cow!
Love to all,
Remi, Kelley, and Meg
We were able to go to another outreach to a nearby village, Kasaba. The outreach was held at a very small church made completely of earth, no bigger than a single SMC dorm room. It was so crowded, hot, and there was absolutely no light. We were all frustrated today because it was very chaotic and could not get the mothers to form a line to make things run more smoothly. Over these past few weeks we have learned, in situations like these, to just roll with it and do what we can.
Hope all is well with everyone back home! We can't believe that tomorrow will make our halfway point of our trip. Holy cow!
Love to all,
Remi, Kelley, and Meg
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Day 16: Outreach Day
Hello everyone! Back to work today. Right when we arrived to the clinic there was a woman ready to give birth. We got to assist the midwife in delivering the baby boy. We all thought that this birth was an extremely eye opening experience. This woman was in so much pain. Unlike women in the States, she did not have the option to receive an epidural or any other pain medication. She just took it by the horns and let her body do the work. We all agreed that when it comes time to have babies of our own, we will appreciate the resources we have available to us. This woman will serve as a great inspiration to us. After the birth we all resumed our designated jobs until it was time for Outreach. Meg was in maternity/antenatal, Kelley was in Pharmacy, and Remi was in Registration/Room 2. Remi was able to start an IV on a 12 month old! It was so hard to see the little vein, but it all worked out well! This little girl came to the clinic because she is dying of malaria. So we quickly hooked her up to a high dose of Quinine, an antimalarial medication. It was so heartbreaking to see such a beautiful little girl so sick. Because the clinic is so limited with it's resources, there was no IV pole to hang the Quinine on, so we had to improvise. We hung it using a strip of gauze attached to a knob on the wall. This little girl was joined by three other patients in a very hot and crowded room. There was even a man in a hospital bed in the hallway because we were over capacity for the day.
Next, it was time to head to a nearby village for another outreach day. When we arrived there were about 40 mothers with their babies waiting for the immunizations. We got everything set up and formed three lines, one for each of us, and began poking babies! It is just so humbling to think about how these women have to walk for miles and miles, barefoot with babies on their backs, so their children can receive the appropriate immunizations they need. There is nothing to sit on but the dirt while they are waiting for their turn. We have the luxury of just hopping on the highway and going into a doctors office to do this very same thing. It really put things into perspective for us. All the basic necessities for child care such as: strollers, pacifiers, diapers, bottles, and blankets are not an option for these women and children. They really make due with what they have and are just fine with it. To us, we see this as such a struggle, but in all actuality it is simply a different way of life. Not a wrong one. We are learning to see the world in a totally different light.
That's all for now. Love to all!
Remi, Kelley, and Meg
Next, it was time to head to a nearby village for another outreach day. When we arrived there were about 40 mothers with their babies waiting for the immunizations. We got everything set up and formed three lines, one for each of us, and began poking babies! It is just so humbling to think about how these women have to walk for miles and miles, barefoot with babies on their backs, so their children can receive the appropriate immunizations they need. There is nothing to sit on but the dirt while they are waiting for their turn. We have the luxury of just hopping on the highway and going into a doctors office to do this very same thing. It really put things into perspective for us. All the basic necessities for child care such as: strollers, pacifiers, diapers, bottles, and blankets are not an option for these women and children. They really make due with what they have and are just fine with it. To us, we see this as such a struggle, but in all actuality it is simply a different way of life. Not a wrong one. We are learning to see the world in a totally different light.
That's all for now. Love to all!
Remi, Kelley, and Meg
Monday, June 13, 2011
Day 12, 13, 14 :Down the Nile we go!
Sorry it has been a few days BUT we had the adventure of a lifetime!!! It all started 5am Friday morning. We took a seven hour ride to Jinja riding in a sardine packed taxi. Not only were there 19 people crammed in the taxi/mini van, but a chicken with its feet tied rode underneath Kelley. Once we finally made it to Jinja, Sister Mary Lou came to pick us up. Sister Daisy had arranged for us to stay with the Sisters of the Holy Cross in Jinja...so many connections! Once we got settled we were given a tour of the grounds. We explored the lush gardens and got to see the schools that the sisters started. The view from the convent overlooked the beautiful Lake Victoria, it was so breathtaking! We met two Notre Dame students and one SMC alumn who are currently living in Jinja, volunteering for a year and a half. They were kind enough to take us to downtown Jinja to show us the market and all of the other quaint shops. We then settled at a local bar and enjoyed a few Nile Specials! We were so excited to finally have our first boda boda ride on the way back to the convent. Bodas are motorcycles that are found all over Uganda and serve as taxis. Once we got back to the convent the sisters had a wonderful meal ready for us and then we hit the sack to get some rest before our big day of rafting.
We woke up at 6:00 and enjoyed a nice cup of coffee/tea/hot cocoa with Sister Mary Lou. We waited for the rafting bus to come pick us up for almost 2 hours- the concept of time in Africa is basically absent; you just have to roll with the punches. We made it to the rafting and met some recent ND graduates all the way here in Uganda. What a small world! We became instant friends and made a South Bend rafting boat. We got a brief safety introduction, were fitted with life jackets and helmets, and grabbed breakfast. We boarded the bus to the river---the NILE RIVER that is. When we got to the waters edge we were introduced to the most special guide, Jeffrey. whose first words were "We are gonna have a f***ing good day" in a mixture of amazing accents despite being straight from Uganda. At that moment we knew it was going to be a great day.
We wish we could explain each rapid we went through but that might take all day (it was a five hour trip). It was a 5 hour adrenaline rush throughout the whole trip. We thought we were going to die at two points throughout the trip...this is not sarcasm!!! About an hour into the trip the sky started to get severely dark and the perfect storm brewed. It started with a little drizzle, but quickly turned into a torrential downpour complete with thunder and lightening. At home we would never consider continuing this journey in the water, but when in the Nile, its not even a question..."Onward!!!" As you can imagine, the storm made the rapids a wee bit more intense. This is when the near death experiences began. Our boat flipped multiple times and it was so hard getting to the surface of the water. We saw the light. But it all ended up well and we made it out of the Nile alive, but definitely bruised and battered. When we were done there was a delicious bbq waiting with endless, well-deserved, nice ice-cold, beer.
Mother nature dished out quite an interesting adventure back to the campsite. All of the rain that we experienced on the Nile took quite a toll on the roads. The moment we turned onto the roads, all 3 buses got stuck in the mud. The next 5 hours were full of peeing in the bush, pushing buses out of the mud, walking knee high in goat/cow poop and mud. The rescue buses were called, got just as stuck in the mud so we continued walking to more solid ground for over an hour. Then a bus successfully came to our rescue and took us back to the campsite. This normal 30 minute commute took us 5 hours. Once we got to the campsite, we dropped off our stuff and hit the bar. They treated us all to a free beer to compensate for the delayed return home. We had so much fun with out new friends and had an awesome end to the day.
Sunday morning we woke up bright and early and enjoyed a delicious rolex (Ugandan egg sandwich). We hopped on some bodas and headed to Adrift Rafting Company. This is where Remi and Meg paid $80 to risk ending their lives aka BUNGEE JUMPING OVER THE NILE!!! It was the most thrilling/freeing/terrifying experience of our lives. We cannot explain what it felt like standing over the edge a 45 meter drop, connected only by our ankles. Kelley stayed on safe ground to document the experience.
Now the adventure of a life time came to a close and it was time to head home. Since all the taxis had gone for the day, we had to take a huge public transportation bus all the way back to Kyarusozi. The bus was filled to capacity. About half way through, a young boy projectile vomited next to Kelley, Meg had chatty Kathy who asked for her hand in marriage, and Remi sat next to a guy who took up all of the leg room and had a breastfeeding mom on her other side. It was a great 7 hour ride to say the least. We were completely overjoyed to reach the end of our journey and see Sister Daisy anxiously waiting for us. The sisters had a delicious meal waiting for us. We took the longest showers of our lives, attempting to scrub the crusted leftovers from the weekend and then went to sleep.
We can all say this was honestly the best weekend of our lives!
We woke up at 6:00 and enjoyed a nice cup of coffee/tea/hot cocoa with Sister Mary Lou. We waited for the rafting bus to come pick us up for almost 2 hours- the concept of time in Africa is basically absent; you just have to roll with the punches. We made it to the rafting and met some recent ND graduates all the way here in Uganda. What a small world! We became instant friends and made a South Bend rafting boat. We got a brief safety introduction, were fitted with life jackets and helmets, and grabbed breakfast. We boarded the bus to the river---the NILE RIVER that is. When we got to the waters edge we were introduced to the most special guide, Jeffrey. whose first words were "We are gonna have a f***ing good day" in a mixture of amazing accents despite being straight from Uganda. At that moment we knew it was going to be a great day.
We wish we could explain each rapid we went through but that might take all day (it was a five hour trip). It was a 5 hour adrenaline rush throughout the whole trip. We thought we were going to die at two points throughout the trip...this is not sarcasm!!! About an hour into the trip the sky started to get severely dark and the perfect storm brewed. It started with a little drizzle, but quickly turned into a torrential downpour complete with thunder and lightening. At home we would never consider continuing this journey in the water, but when in the Nile, its not even a question..."Onward!!!" As you can imagine, the storm made the rapids a wee bit more intense. This is when the near death experiences began. Our boat flipped multiple times and it was so hard getting to the surface of the water. We saw the light. But it all ended up well and we made it out of the Nile alive, but definitely bruised and battered. When we were done there was a delicious bbq waiting with endless, well-deserved, nice ice-cold, beer.
Mother nature dished out quite an interesting adventure back to the campsite. All of the rain that we experienced on the Nile took quite a toll on the roads. The moment we turned onto the roads, all 3 buses got stuck in the mud. The next 5 hours were full of peeing in the bush, pushing buses out of the mud, walking knee high in goat/cow poop and mud. The rescue buses were called, got just as stuck in the mud so we continued walking to more solid ground for over an hour. Then a bus successfully came to our rescue and took us back to the campsite. This normal 30 minute commute took us 5 hours. Once we got to the campsite, we dropped off our stuff and hit the bar. They treated us all to a free beer to compensate for the delayed return home. We had so much fun with out new friends and had an awesome end to the day.
Sunday morning we woke up bright and early and enjoyed a delicious rolex (Ugandan egg sandwich). We hopped on some bodas and headed to Adrift Rafting Company. This is where Remi and Meg paid $80 to risk ending their lives aka BUNGEE JUMPING OVER THE NILE!!! It was the most thrilling/freeing/terrifying experience of our lives. We cannot explain what it felt like standing over the edge a 45 meter drop, connected only by our ankles. Kelley stayed on safe ground to document the experience.
Now the adventure of a life time came to a close and it was time to head home. Since all the taxis had gone for the day, we had to take a huge public transportation bus all the way back to Kyarusozi. The bus was filled to capacity. About half way through, a young boy projectile vomited next to Kelley, Meg had chatty Kathy who asked for her hand in marriage, and Remi sat next to a guy who took up all of the leg room and had a breastfeeding mom on her other side. It was a great 7 hour ride to say the least. We were completely overjoyed to reach the end of our journey and see Sister Daisy anxiously waiting for us. The sisters had a delicious meal waiting for us. We took the longest showers of our lives, attempting to scrub the crusted leftovers from the weekend and then went to sleep.
We can all say this was honestly the best weekend of our lives!
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Day 11: Happy Heroes Day!
Well today was a national holiday (again), so that meant no work for us! We took advantage of the day off and traveled to the Crater Lakes and the two Notre Dame students across the street, Matt and Natalie, came with us. Oh my goodness, it was beautiful. They were two lakes that were made from a volcano. They were surrounded by rock and beautiful trees. Kelley, Remi, and Matt took a ride in a wooden paddle boat with a couple of the local children. It was so peaceful and the view was breath taking! After our long trip to the lakes, we headed into the city to the local pizza parlor. We were all so excited to ave a taste from home! One of the pizzas was called the "American" pizza and naturally had french fries on top. We all had a great time hanging out and seeing more of the city together! It was a great, relaxing holiday. That's all for now!!! We are getting very excited for our Nile River Rafting trip for the weekend. We leave bright and early tomorrow morning! So we will have lots to share on Sunday when we return. Love to all!!
Remi, Meg, and Kelley
Remi, Meg, and Kelley
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Day 10: IVs
Today was a great day! We all went to mass this morning and headed off to the clinic. The clinic was very busy today. The midwife was sick so we were all running around trying to help wherever we were needed. Kelley was in charge of admitting patients as they came in the door. This was a wee bit difficult because of the language barrier. But she caught on with a few key phrases and managed quite well! Meg was in the pharmacy room today handing out meds as the patients left the clinic. Remi was in maternity/antenatal today. She assessed pregnant mothers. The midwife was not there, so it was difficult doing it alone. Throughout the day, all three of us got to learn how to insert an IV. It was a dream come true! The process was rather nerve wracking because of the limited supplies the clinic has, such as gloves. After work, we made our way over to the secondary school to play some basketball with the students. We were amazed to see the type of court the kids have to play on. It is filled with tall grass, dirt, and many rocks. The baskets were much higher than we were used to, making it that more difficult! It was fun to play and get to know a whole different group of kids. We are all so tired after our busy day!
Love to all,
Kelley, Remi, and Meg
Love to all,
Kelley, Remi, and Meg
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Day 9: Dynamite Day
Boy what a day we had! Breakfast club met at 7am for a nice run to start off our great day. Right when we arrived at the clinic there was a woman in labor who was 8 centimeters dilated. We all for the first time were able to check her cervix. Her water broke soon after and she began pushing. The midwife was so nice and allowed us to help her throughout the entire birthing process. We helped to stimulate the uterus and encouraged the mother to push by saying "sindika!" (push in Rutooro). Once the baby came out Remi clamped and cut the cord. We wrapped the baby up, took APGAR scores, and weight. We gave the mom a shot of pitocin to reduce her bleeding by stimulating the uterus to contract. We assisted in the laceration repair and helped the mom get cleaned up. What a great way to start the morning! We then headed off to a nearby village for the "Outreach" immunization day. We arrived to a church where over 30 moms and babies were waiting for immunizations. We all got a lot of practice giving shots to squirmy, screaming babies. They were so adorable! Because of the limited supplies, vaccine administration is very different than at home. Not only were we outside, but we did not use gloves or alcohol swabs. We had to work with what we had.
Love you all!
Kelley, Remi, and Meg
Love you all!
Kelley, Remi, and Meg
Monday, June 6, 2011
Day 8: Back to the grind
Hello everyone! Today we went back to our regular schedule at the clinic. The doctor came to the clinic today and took us on his rounds. We were able to help him assess and diagnose patients as they came to the clinic. It was a nice day so we decided to walk home. All three of us had the opportunity to fetch water with the kids, a chore they do multiple times a day. It is approximately a half mile walk down hill to the well. There they fill up the 3 gallon jugs, turn around, and walk right back up all the way to their homes. We were all amazed to see how much work these little kids do on a daily basis. This really makes us appreciate the clean running water we have straight from our faucets. We complain about the simplest chores, and these kids never complain once about the physically demanding chores they are asked to do.
Love,
Kelley, Remi, and Meg
Love,
Kelley, Remi, and Meg
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Day 7: S'mores!!!!!
Hello everyone!
Today was another nice relaxing day! We woke up and went to 8:00 mass. It was so beautiful. The singing and all the different instruments were so energetic and upbeat. It made us want to get up and dance. The mass was spoken in Rutooro so we could not understand, but we could still follow the universal steps of the mass. We spent the afternoon reading and catching some rays. Since today was Sunday, it was our day to cook dinner! Tonight we cooked spaghetti with red meat sauce, garlic bread, and assorted vegetables. Our main event was dessert. We had a special surprise for the sisters and the night guards... S'MORES!! They had never heard of them before. We truly knocked their socks off. It was so fun. We were all just laughing and having a great time toasting our mallows. A great way to end the weekend. Now it is back to work at the clinic tomorrow! Love to all!
Love always,
Remi, Meg, and Kelley
Today was another nice relaxing day! We woke up and went to 8:00 mass. It was so beautiful. The singing and all the different instruments were so energetic and upbeat. It made us want to get up and dance. The mass was spoken in Rutooro so we could not understand, but we could still follow the universal steps of the mass. We spent the afternoon reading and catching some rays. Since today was Sunday, it was our day to cook dinner! Tonight we cooked spaghetti with red meat sauce, garlic bread, and assorted vegetables. Our main event was dessert. We had a special surprise for the sisters and the night guards... S'MORES!! They had never heard of them before. We truly knocked their socks off. It was so fun. We were all just laughing and having a great time toasting our mallows. A great way to end the weekend. Now it is back to work at the clinic tomorrow! Love to all!
Love always,
Remi, Meg, and Kelley
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Day 6: Tea, tea and more tea!
Today was another relaxing day! We enjoyed reading our books and sitting in the sun. We had a field trip to the tea plantation. We were given a tour to see the process of tea production, which is incredibly long! It was really neat to see how something that is hand-picked in a field in Uganda ends up at home in our coffee cups on the other side of the world. Can you imagine picking tea leaves all day long in the hot sun? There were over one-thousand acres of tea plants! The view was soo pretty! When we got back the kids were all gathered at the gate waiting for us to play as always. We took jump ropes and music for them which they loved. These little kids sure know how to dance! Well, that's about it for today :)
Love to all!
Remi, Kelley, and Meg
Love to all!
Remi, Kelley, and Meg
Friday, June 3, 2011
Day 5: Kick back and Relax!
Today was so much fun! We didn't have to go to the clinic today because it was a national holiday celebrating the martyrs of Uganda. The whole town was shut down for the day. So we slept in a little bit and started our day with a nice run through town. It was so strange not having anyone yelling mizungo (white person at us)! During the afternoon we tackled the first load of laundry, all done my hand! It was quite the experience. Boy do our forearms ache! It was a very eye opening experience for the three of us. We take for granted the use of our washing machines and dryers when our neighbors are forced to walk miles everyday to get the water to hand wash their clothing for an entire family. We had a lot of down time to relax on our own and enjoy the company of the sisters. The best part of the day was game night with the sisters! We played Rummikub (Remi was so excited!!!!!!!) and the always exciting Uno. It was so fun to laugh and play with the sisters. The games got pretty intense as you can imagine. We got to see a whole different side of Sister Lillian and Sister Stella! We finished the evening with another delicious Thanksgiving Day-like dinner and are off to get ready for bed! Hope all is well with everyone back home. We miss you all!
Love always,
Remi, Kelley, Meg
Love always,
Remi, Kelley, Meg
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Day 4: Fort Portal
What a day we had today!!! Today we didn't have to work at the clinic. Instead, we went with Sister Daisy to Fort Portal which is about 45mins from the convent. We did so many things and are so excited to share them with you! On our drive into the city we passed through a national park. Daisy told us that the baboons would be waiting for us by the road to get bananas, and she was right! As we got closer there were baboons lined up all along the road and as we slowed down they all approached the car waiting for us to give them a banana. It was so neat! We all got so excited and took so many pictures. Once we finally made it to Fort Portal we went to the bank first so we could exchange money. Next we went to visit the congregation of The Daughters of St. Therese Little Flower where Daisy's sister lives. We sat and talked with the for a while and enjoyed a delicious glass of fresh mango juice. It was out of this world! We then headed over to Sister Lillian's house who is also a Sister of the Holy Cross. We were so amazed by the convent and how beautiful it was and the nature it was surrounded by. We all thought it reminded us of a beautiful beach house with windows EVERYWHERE and turquoise walls. So beautiful! Sister Lillian is from California, so it was interesting to hear her story and why she wanted to come and live in Uganda as a religious. She also prepared a delicious lunch for us, complete with pineapple upside-down cake! After our delicious Thanksgiving Day-like lunch, we all headed to the market. We bought ingedients for our meal we are making on Sunday for the Sisters and some gifts too! It was so neat to see so many of the same things we have at home here at the market. After shopping, we went to go visit the Brothers at Lake Saaka. It was absolutely gorgeous. The property was breath taking. The house was very open and inviting with beautiful architecture and paintings. The lake was so beautiful with the mountains in the distance. We all agreed that we would have no porblem living there! After a long day, we made our way back to Kyarusozi with a car full of goodies. Dinner was waiting for us when we got back and we have spent the rest of the night laughing and telling the other Sisters about our exciting day!
Love,
Remi, Meg, Kelley
Love,
Remi, Meg, Kelley
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Day 3: Immunizations at the Clinic
Hello everyone! Today we all got up and made it over to the Parish Center where the brothers stay and went to mass at 7:00 which was English.The music and singing were so beautiful as they harmonized and used drums, maracas, and clapping. Ate breakfast and prepared for another day at the clinic. Today was immunization day for many young infants. Some of the immunizations included polio, measles, DTaP, BCG, and Hep B. Remi was on the immunization unit today and she got to help out a lot. Meg was with the antenatal nurse and was able to check fetal positioning and heart rates. Kelley was in the pharmacy checking the stock of meds and distributed to the discharged patients. We all learned a lot of key phrases in Rutooro, the local language, that will help us at the clinic and in communicating with the kids in the school and neighborhood. Sister Edith wanted to take us to see the St. Joesph Secondary School which is just down the road from the primary school and clinic. We all we amazed how big the "campus" was and how college like it felt. All the class rooms are separate buildings. It was set on top of a hill with a BEAUTIFUL view of a valley and mountain range in the distance. We all wish we had the opportunity to see that every day! Since we didn't make the long walk home today, we decided to go for our first run in Africa. The African sun is quite HOT as you can imagine...We all made it back alive and felt great afterwards. That is all for today!
Love,
Kelley, Meg, Remi
PS. Shout out to Adam (Meg's fiance)!!
Love,
Kelley, Meg, Remi
PS. Shout out to Adam (Meg's fiance)!!
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Day 2: Our First Day at the Clinic!
Another great day in Kyarusozi! Today was out first day at the clinic. We woke up and had some breakfast and packed some lunch to take for later in the day. We all then packed into a big white pick-up truck and headed for the clinic. It was the bumpiest ride of our lives. The road is completely covered with potholes and huge cracks/trenches. After the 15-20min ride we made it to the clinic! Once we got our stuff unloaded we got to see the school where Carrie and Rachael are teaching. We played with the kids at recess and then headed next door to the clinic. We were introduced to the staff and then each assigned a different area to observe and help out as needed. Kelley was in an admission room and assisted in distributing meds for discharged patients. Meg was in the antenatal room where she used a fetoscope to hear babies heart rates. Remi was in anothere admission room with the clinic officer listening to patients sypmtoms and complaints. Basically, today was just for observing and getting used to the clinic and the way everything works. We were all amazed to see the dramatic differences from the clinic here and hospitals back home. It was a great first day! Then the five of us decided to walk back to the convent. Holy cow, was it a walk! Between the hills, potholes, trenches/cracks in the road, we were all pretty beat after the hour and fifteen minute walk! Once we made it back, the sisters had a delicious mid-afternoon snack waiting for us. We are treated so well! We rested for a bit and ended the day with playing with the kids until dinnertime. Talk to you tomorrow!
Love,
Remi, Kelley, and Meg
Love,
Remi, Kelley, and Meg
Monday, May 30, 2011
Day 1
Hello to everyone!!
Today was our day to rest and re-coop from the long journey. We slept until 12:30 and woke up just in time for lunch! We enjoyed rice, plantains, and some sort of delicious bean/stew/plaintain mixture. Let's just say, our palates are broadening. Since we didn't have to go to the clinic today, the five of us went on a long walk to see more of the town. Right when we left we ran into this beautiful 14 year old girl named Lucy. She wanted to show us her home and family. SHe invited us in to sit down and talk with her and her mothere. We also got to meet her siblings. On our walk, we also saw the villages where people set up huts to sell many different things. We also got to see a giant Tea Plantation. Everywhere we go people stare and wave at us and shout mizungo (white person)! We then came back and played with the children until dinner time. We played soccer, volleyball, and lots of duck-duck goose. The children kept asking us for sweets and more toys. They also enjoyed pulling Remi's long braid. After all the playing, it was time for dinner. The sisters made rice, beans, peanut sauce, squash, potaotes, spinach, and a lovely arrangement of veggies! So good!! And for dessert we had cake and pineapple. It was a great day and now it is off to bed to get some rest before our first day at the clinic! Love to you all!
Remi, Meg, Kelley
Today was our day to rest and re-coop from the long journey. We slept until 12:30 and woke up just in time for lunch! We enjoyed rice, plantains, and some sort of delicious bean/stew/plaintain mixture. Let's just say, our palates are broadening. Since we didn't have to go to the clinic today, the five of us went on a long walk to see more of the town. Right when we left we ran into this beautiful 14 year old girl named Lucy. She wanted to show us her home and family. SHe invited us in to sit down and talk with her and her mothere. We also got to meet her siblings. On our walk, we also saw the villages where people set up huts to sell many different things. We also got to see a giant Tea Plantation. Everywhere we go people stare and wave at us and shout mizungo (white person)! We then came back and played with the children until dinner time. We played soccer, volleyball, and lots of duck-duck goose. The children kept asking us for sweets and more toys. They also enjoyed pulling Remi's long braid. After all the playing, it was time for dinner. The sisters made rice, beans, peanut sauce, squash, potaotes, spinach, and a lovely arrangement of veggies! So good!! And for dessert we had cake and pineapple. It was a great day and now it is off to bed to get some rest before our first day at the clinic! Love to you all!
Remi, Meg, Kelley
Sunday, May 29, 2011
The Journey
WE FINALLY MADE IT TO UGANDA!!!!!!!
It has been a long few days. We first started at O'Hare at the British International Check-in. Everything started out with a great start when Remi's bag was 27lbs overweight as well as Kelley's being a tad on the heavy side. Praise Jesus Meg saved our butts and was able to take the load off our bags and distribute the extra weight throughout her three suitcases. We managed to get by with the help of Vicki (the British Airway clerk) and not have to pay a single fee!!
Our flight out of O'Hare to London was at 8pm and it was about 7 hours. The flight was long, but good food made it all the better. Once we landed in London we had a 12 hour layover and were able to leave the airport for the day and go into the city! We took the London Tube and got off at Covent Garden. We walked around a while and found a cute place to have lunch and did a little shopping. As the afternoon went on, the city started to get more and more busy because of the big soccer game against Manchester and Barcelona. Apparently that is like the equivalent of the Super Bowl in the US. To celebrate with the city, we made our way to four different local pubs and met many friends along the way. They were all very interested in where we were from and our trip to Africa. It was a great afternoon and then we made our way back to the airport.
Once back at Heathrow, our flight to Africa took off at 9:15pm. This was an 8 hour flight, give or take, but felt more like 20! Once we landed in Entebbe and got all through customs, we met our driver Patrick who was patiently waiting with a Saint Mary's College sign. We then managed to squeeze 13 suitcases, 5 purses, 4 backpacks, and 6 bodies into a minivan. Oh and did we mention the ride was 6 hours long??!!! Driving in Africa is very different in and of itself. There are no yellow or white lines and it is all about weaving in and around of bikers, children, motorcycles, cows, and most of all, potholes.
After the long bumpy ride, we finally made it to the convent and met the sisters. Immediately after we got out of the car there were already neighborhood children just dying to play with us! The sisters were so wonderful and helped us with all of our luggage and showed us our home for the next six weeks. It is so beautiful! The three of us are sleeping in a little annex right outside of the convent (you could throw a rock at it) and the two education girls are sleeping inside the convent. The sisters had a light meal of pasta, coleslaw, papaya, bananas, and passion fruit juice prepared for us and then we just began unpacking and getting things organized. We are now awaiting dinner time and a well needed shower!
Well, that is all for now!! More to come tomorrow. Love to you all!
Remi, Kelley, and Meg
It has been a long few days. We first started at O'Hare at the British International Check-in. Everything started out with a great start when Remi's bag was 27lbs overweight as well as Kelley's being a tad on the heavy side. Praise Jesus Meg saved our butts and was able to take the load off our bags and distribute the extra weight throughout her three suitcases. We managed to get by with the help of Vicki (the British Airway clerk) and not have to pay a single fee!!
Our flight out of O'Hare to London was at 8pm and it was about 7 hours. The flight was long, but good food made it all the better. Once we landed in London we had a 12 hour layover and were able to leave the airport for the day and go into the city! We took the London Tube and got off at Covent Garden. We walked around a while and found a cute place to have lunch and did a little shopping. As the afternoon went on, the city started to get more and more busy because of the big soccer game against Manchester and Barcelona. Apparently that is like the equivalent of the Super Bowl in the US. To celebrate with the city, we made our way to four different local pubs and met many friends along the way. They were all very interested in where we were from and our trip to Africa. It was a great afternoon and then we made our way back to the airport.
Once back at Heathrow, our flight to Africa took off at 9:15pm. This was an 8 hour flight, give or take, but felt more like 20! Once we landed in Entebbe and got all through customs, we met our driver Patrick who was patiently waiting with a Saint Mary's College sign. We then managed to squeeze 13 suitcases, 5 purses, 4 backpacks, and 6 bodies into a minivan. Oh and did we mention the ride was 6 hours long??!!! Driving in Africa is very different in and of itself. There are no yellow or white lines and it is all about weaving in and around of bikers, children, motorcycles, cows, and most of all, potholes.
After the long bumpy ride, we finally made it to the convent and met the sisters. Immediately after we got out of the car there were already neighborhood children just dying to play with us! The sisters were so wonderful and helped us with all of our luggage and showed us our home for the next six weeks. It is so beautiful! The three of us are sleeping in a little annex right outside of the convent (you could throw a rock at it) and the two education girls are sleeping inside the convent. The sisters had a light meal of pasta, coleslaw, papaya, bananas, and passion fruit juice prepared for us and then we just began unpacking and getting things organized. We are now awaiting dinner time and a well needed shower!
Well, that is all for now!! More to come tomorrow. Love to you all!
Remi, Kelley, and Meg
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Packing the night before it all begins
Remi, Meg, and I have all been extremely busy this week packing for the next six weeks as we make our way to Uganda! We each have two suitcases PACKED (with one over flow duffel) with clothes, gifts for the sisters and kids, as well as medical supplies for the clinic. We are all anxiously awaiting tomorrow when we fly to Africa! There has been so much preparation over the past several months, we are excited to start our journey with our first layover in London for 12 hours. We re hoping to get out into the city to eat at a cafe and walk around and see some key site before the 9 hour flight to Entebbe, Uganda. WE CANNOT WAIT!
Kelley
Meg
Remi
Kelley
Meg
Remi
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