On Mondays, the SM location is right next to a bustling village market, so the students will frequently go get banana “pancakes” (fried slices of banana) and pineapple. When you buy a pineapple there, it costs 400 shillings (~20 cents) and the vendors skin and slice it into quarters for you on the spot. (For price comparison, we [the students] can buy pineapple here in Mbarara for 2,000 shillings, or 1 USD. When we told our translator Becky, a local university student, about our great price, she shook her head and said that she pays 1,000 shillings.)
With this in mind, I had Claire bring me back an uncut pineapple this Monday. We can get it cut for us at Tank Hill (they take the pineapple and do it for us, even though my mom already conveniently taught me how to cut a pineapple over the phone), and we ate it with dinner today. Claire and I offered some to other people, but I’m pretty sure we ate a fair share of it.
Can you really blame us?? Yummmm pineapple-y goodness.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Monday, June 28, 2010
Lake Mburo
On Saturday, we took a day trip to Lake Mburo National Park. It’s approximately a two hour drive from Mbarara, so we left at 6 AM and came back around 8 PM, just in time for dinner.
[Becky, Claire, and me in front of the entrance sign! Photo credit to Claire.]
For the first time in my life, I saw zebras, impalas, buffalos (from a distance), elands, hippos, and monkeys in the wild. When we got there in the morning, we started with a "nature walk," a 1.5 hour guided tour where we tracked animals by foot. I think many people (myself included) expected some sort of trail, but we were literally trekking through brush and tall grasses. At one point during the walk, we paused in the grass to take some pictures of nearby impalas, and people started getting attacked by vicious looking ants. (Even those in pants got bitten, not just people wearing shorts or capris.)
[Luckily, none on me! Our guide told us to keep checking ourselves and other people. I had one small ant on me, but none of these monstrosities. Photo credit of Google Images.]
As you can see, they have HUGE heads and pincers. One girl was bleeding from her bites. Ugh, so painful looking.
After the walk, we had lunch (pineapple, watermelon, banana, and passionfruit tropical fruit salad for me--why can’t I just eat this for all my meals?) before going on a boat tour on the lake at 3:30 PM. We were supposed to go at 2 PM, but it literally took us two hours for us to get our food (slow service is pretty common here; they’re in no rush), hence the delay. We saw so many hippos from the boat! Also, we got surprisingly close to them--much closer than I had anticipated.
[Photo credit to Claire.]
[Screencap from one of my FlipCam videos.]
Lake Mburo was a great experience (even though I returned exhausted and subsequently slept in until 7:30 AM Monday... even after taking a nap Sunday afternoon). I’m looking forward to our safari at Queen Elizabeth National Park even more now!
More pics:
[Becky looking out over the lake.]
[Photo credit to Claire.]
[Photo credit to Claire.]
[There was a monkey in our van! It was eating the muffins Gordon had given us to for breakfast before we got too close and it ran off. Photo credit to Claire.]
[Photo credit to Claire.]
[Photo credit to Claire.]
[Becky, Claire, and me in front of the entrance sign! Photo credit to Claire.]
For the first time in my life, I saw zebras, impalas, buffalos (from a distance), elands, hippos, and monkeys in the wild. When we got there in the morning, we started with a "nature walk," a 1.5 hour guided tour where we tracked animals by foot. I think many people (myself included) expected some sort of trail, but we were literally trekking through brush and tall grasses. At one point during the walk, we paused in the grass to take some pictures of nearby impalas, and people started getting attacked by vicious looking ants. (Even those in pants got bitten, not just people wearing shorts or capris.)
[Luckily, none on me! Our guide told us to keep checking ourselves and other people. I had one small ant on me, but none of these monstrosities. Photo credit of Google Images.]
As you can see, they have HUGE heads and pincers. One girl was bleeding from her bites. Ugh, so painful looking.
After the walk, we had lunch (pineapple, watermelon, banana, and passionfruit tropical fruit salad for me--why can’t I just eat this for all my meals?) before going on a boat tour on the lake at 3:30 PM. We were supposed to go at 2 PM, but it literally took us two hours for us to get our food (slow service is pretty common here; they’re in no rush), hence the delay. We saw so many hippos from the boat! Also, we got surprisingly close to them--much closer than I had anticipated.
[Photo credit to Claire.]
[Screencap from one of my FlipCam videos.]
Lake Mburo was a great experience (even though I returned exhausted and subsequently slept in until 7:30 AM Monday... even after taking a nap Sunday afternoon). I’m looking forward to our safari at Queen Elizabeth National Park even more now!
More pics:
[Becky looking out over the lake.]
[Photo credit to Claire.]
[Photo credit to Claire.]
[There was a monkey in our van! It was eating the muffins Gordon had given us to for breakfast before we got too close and it ran off. Photo credit to Claire.]
[Photo credit to Claire.]
[Photo credit to Claire.]
Friday, June 25, 2010
Goat Roast: Pictures!
[Claire and Bob picking the corn.]
[Our 40 ears of corn, which cost us ~2 USD.]
[The goat meat being prepared.]
[The meat was placed on skewers for roasting.]
[Roasting! There was SO much meat... this was right when they began.]
[From L-R: Gloria, our sonographer, Fiona, the coordinator of SM from MMHF, and Sister Jackie, our midwife, at the goat roast.]
[Girls being silly!]
[Claire, me, and Lauren with the stunning landscape.]
[Princess!]
[A full moon in the Ugandan night sky.]My First Ever Goat Roast
June 24, 2010
Today after work, we went to the WSH surveyors’ house (those who are conducting the baseline survey for us) instead of returning back to Mbarara. Because we hadn’t had an opportunity to meet them yet, we’d decided upon a goat roast--like a BBQ but a much bigger deal in Uganda, since goats are relatively expensive here--to get to know them. In attendance were ourselves, the 20 surveyors, and people from MMHF who have been crucial to our work as well (Dr. Mugerwa, his brother James, Bob, Becky, Christine, Fiona, Gloria, Sister Jackie, etc.).
We all chipped in money to purchase three goats, although it ended up being way too much, especially since most of the girls in the group are vegetarian here or eat very little meat. Because there would have been little other food than goat and matooke there, we ended up U-picking corn from the field next to our health intervention location: 40 ears for 4,000 shillings (~2 dollars). The corn, once grilled, ends up tasting more like popcorn than what I think "corn on the cob" should taste like, but it’s still pretty good once you get past the initial hardness of the kernels.
What else happened at the roast? The girls fawned over a 7-month old baby named Princess, I actually tried a small piece of goat (about the size of my thumbnail), and I was forced to drink directly from a glass soda bottle (which you’re not typically supposed to do) because there weren’t any straws. Lauren, Claire, and I all cleaned the lip of our bottles with a handy sanitizer wipe though, so I think everything is going to be okay. Good purchase, Mom!
Pictures from the goat roast will be uploaded soon! We’re headed to Lake Mburo tomorrow; we’re departing early at 6 AM and should be back in the evening in time for the U.S. World Cup game. Expect to see a blog post on it next week!
Today after work, we went to the WSH surveyors’ house (those who are conducting the baseline survey for us) instead of returning back to Mbarara. Because we hadn’t had an opportunity to meet them yet, we’d decided upon a goat roast--like a BBQ but a much bigger deal in Uganda, since goats are relatively expensive here--to get to know them. In attendance were ourselves, the 20 surveyors, and people from MMHF who have been crucial to our work as well (Dr. Mugerwa, his brother James, Bob, Becky, Christine, Fiona, Gloria, Sister Jackie, etc.).
We all chipped in money to purchase three goats, although it ended up being way too much, especially since most of the girls in the group are vegetarian here or eat very little meat. Because there would have been little other food than goat and matooke there, we ended up U-picking corn from the field next to our health intervention location: 40 ears for 4,000 shillings (~2 dollars). The corn, once grilled, ends up tasting more like popcorn than what I think "corn on the cob" should taste like, but it’s still pretty good once you get past the initial hardness of the kernels.
What else happened at the roast? The girls fawned over a 7-month old baby named Princess, I actually tried a small piece of goat (about the size of my thumbnail), and I was forced to drink directly from a glass soda bottle (which you’re not typically supposed to do) because there weren’t any straws. Lauren, Claire, and I all cleaned the lip of our bottles with a handy sanitizer wipe though, so I think everything is going to be okay. Good purchase, Mom!
Pictures from the goat roast will be uploaded soon! We’re headed to Lake Mburo tomorrow; we’re departing early at 6 AM and should be back in the evening in time for the U.S. World Cup game. Expect to see a blog post on it next week!
Joga Bonito
"The world of the World Cup is the world I want to live in. I cannot resist the pageantry and high-mindedness, the apolitical display of national characteristics, the revelation of human flaws and unexpected greatnesses, the fact that entire nations walk off the job or wake up at 3 A.M. to watch men kick a ball."
-The Thinking Fan’s Guide to the World Cup
I love watching the World Cup
I discovered its joy in 2006, during the last tournament hosted in Germany. At the time, I was conducting research at MUSC and was often given free time by my mentor when we had to wait for a 2-3 hour incubation period. The first few times this happened, I wandered down to the cafeteria, per his suggestion, but finding only overpriced hospital food, I quickly bored.
Then, I discovered the TVs in a sitting area in front of the library. I rooted for whichever team I wanted (but ultimately fell for Germany), cheered when Jens Lehmann’s saves in the penalty shootout propelled Germany over Argentina, and reveled in the pureness of beautiful futbol.
Four years later, I’m in Africa as the World Cup tournament is being played on African soil for the first time. If I can’t be in South Africa itself, this is certainly the next best option. Our hostel, Tank Hill, plays the games on the television in the dining area, and we’ll frequently join Ugandans who flock from nearby to watch the 5 and 9:30 PM games.
A June 22 NYT article read:
But no worries. In the end, I’m just rooting for the beautiful game.
-The Thinking Fan’s Guide to the World Cup
I love watching the World Cup
I discovered its joy in 2006, during the last tournament hosted in Germany. At the time, I was conducting research at MUSC and was often given free time by my mentor when we had to wait for a 2-3 hour incubation period. The first few times this happened, I wandered down to the cafeteria, per his suggestion, but finding only overpriced hospital food, I quickly bored.
Then, I discovered the TVs in a sitting area in front of the library. I rooted for whichever team I wanted (but ultimately fell for Germany), cheered when Jens Lehmann’s saves in the penalty shootout propelled Germany over Argentina, and reveled in the pureness of beautiful futbol.
Four years later, I’m in Africa as the World Cup tournament is being played on African soil for the first time. If I can’t be in South Africa itself, this is certainly the next best option. Our hostel, Tank Hill, plays the games on the television in the dining area, and we’ll frequently join Ugandans who flock from nearby to watch the 5 and 9:30 PM games.
A June 22 NYT article read:
"Well before the tournament began, South Africa had arguably exhibited an overflow of optimism. A pre-tournament poll conducted for FIFA, the international soccer bosses, showed that one in eight South Africans thought their team would win the World Cup. Only 22 percent believed that the team would fail to advance beyond the first round."Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like African nations are doing that well, despite high hopes and an Africa United ad campaign ("Let’s go Africa. Let’s go 2010."). I was certainly rooting for Africa, although I’m a bit torn for the upcoming U.S.-Ghana game tomorrow.
But no worries. In the end, I’m just rooting for the beautiful game.
Twenty-One in Uganda
"One of the signs of passing youth is the birth of a sense of fellowship with other human beings as we take our place among them."
-Virginia Woolf
I had a wonderful 21st birthday! Early in the morning, both my parents and Adam called to wish me a happy birthday--pretty much the best gift I could have asked for, especially since I know they had to stay up later than usual to do it. As I’ve said before, I feel incredibly blessed to have people back home who love and are thinking about me.
The nice gestures didn’t stop there. Bean and Rachel surprised me with a beautiful bouquet of wildflowers in the morning, and the group treated me to dinner at one of Lake View’s restaurants. We stopped at a supermarket for ice cream on the way back to Tank Hill. Soooo good. The U.S. was also kind enough to finally score against Algeria in their crucial group stage match, so we’re advancing onto the next round of the World Cup! Unfortunately, we’re playing Ghana... the last African nation in the World Cup finals. I’m a bit torn, honestly. I want the U.S. to do well, but I was/am also rooting for Africa.
The only downside: Got my first mosquito bite of Uganda today. But no big deal! I still had a great day. Thank you to everyone who sent birthday wishes!
-Virginia Woolf
I had a wonderful 21st birthday! Early in the morning, both my parents and Adam called to wish me a happy birthday--pretty much the best gift I could have asked for, especially since I know they had to stay up later than usual to do it. As I’ve said before, I feel incredibly blessed to have people back home who love and are thinking about me.
The nice gestures didn’t stop there. Bean and Rachel surprised me with a beautiful bouquet of wildflowers in the morning, and the group treated me to dinner at one of Lake View’s restaurants. We stopped at a supermarket for ice cream on the way back to Tank Hill. Soooo good. The U.S. was also kind enough to finally score against Algeria in their crucial group stage match, so we’re advancing onto the next round of the World Cup! Unfortunately, we’re playing Ghana... the last African nation in the World Cup finals. I’m a bit torn, honestly. I want the U.S. to do well, but I was/am also rooting for Africa.
The only downside: Got my first mosquito bite of Uganda today. But no big deal! I still had a great day. Thank you to everyone who sent birthday wishes!
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Ninkunda (I Like)...
"Traveling is a brutality. It forces you to trust strangers and to lose sight of all that familiar comfort of home and friends. You are constantly off balance. Nothing is yours except the essential things--air, sleep, dreams, the sea, the sky--all things tending towards the eternal or what we imagine of it." –Cesare Pavese
Not surprisingly, I've found myself missing home--the familiarity of the people, customs, and foods--as my time here continues. So, I wanted to write about all the things I've been enjoying here to take my mind off what I might not like so much.
Some pleasures thus far:
1. Waking up in the morning to a rooster’s crow, interesting bird calls I’ve never heard before, or, even better, the call to prayer. What a magical sound. Unfortunately, I’ve only heard it once while we stayed in Kampala. We can hear it from Tank Hill in Mbarara, but I’ve just been exhausted and have slept too soundly thus far.
2. The fruit! Pineapple, watermelon, and bananas, oh my! I don’t think I’ve ever had pineapple this delicious in my life. I may just live off fruit the entire 9 weeks I’m here… I did try goat one night (ehh, not really my thing), but I’ve been mostly vegetarian here. I have the feeling that rice, beans, and potatoes are going to get old fast. P.S. I was totally let down by passionfruit. Our hotel in Kampala served us a delicious fruit medley, which contained passionfruit (or at least that’s what the girls and I deduced from the little seeds), so I was under the impression passionfruit was sweet and yummy. False. Super tart; same with the citrus. Papaya is yummy though, and so is avocado.
[Oranges in the market.]
[Passionfruit.]
3. How relatively cheap everything is. 1 USD is approximately 2,200 shillings. I got a litre of bottled water for ~25 cents in Kampala, and when we stopped for lunch in Masaka, two vegetable samosas cost ~80 cents. Not surprisingly, imported goods are expensive, like Jif (the peanut butter brand). I should have been smart like Lauren and brought a jar with me... alas.
4. Sleeping/hanging out underneath my bednet. It is pink and makes me feel like a princess. It also keeps me safe from mean mosquitoes, which brings me to my next "like"...
5. Ultrathon! What a great find--no bites thus far (one tick, but I guess that doesn’t count). Granted, it is the dry season here, but I’m pretty sure I’m going to be a loyal Ultrathon consumer for the rest of my life.
6. The ~1 hour car ride to Kashongi. Level of enjoyment varies depending on weather, dust, and mood, but I like looking out the window and having some time to collect my thoughts at the beginning and end of each day in the field.
7. The World Cup. Kinda self-explanatory. It’s in Africa; I’m in Africa. People here actually care; I care.
8. The hospitality and grace of the people here. Everyone is incredibly warm and respectful, and it has been an absolute delight to interact with Ugandans, from our drivers and Gordon at Tank Hill to our partners and colleagues on the intervention and even just the children who are always curious and excited to see us.
Not surprisingly, I've found myself missing home--the familiarity of the people, customs, and foods--as my time here continues. So, I wanted to write about all the things I've been enjoying here to take my mind off what I might not like so much.
Some pleasures thus far:
1. Waking up in the morning to a rooster’s crow, interesting bird calls I’ve never heard before, or, even better, the call to prayer. What a magical sound. Unfortunately, I’ve only heard it once while we stayed in Kampala. We can hear it from Tank Hill in Mbarara, but I’ve just been exhausted and have slept too soundly thus far.
2. The fruit! Pineapple, watermelon, and bananas, oh my! I don’t think I’ve ever had pineapple this delicious in my life. I may just live off fruit the entire 9 weeks I’m here… I did try goat one night (ehh, not really my thing), but I’ve been mostly vegetarian here. I have the feeling that rice, beans, and potatoes are going to get old fast. P.S. I was totally let down by passionfruit. Our hotel in Kampala served us a delicious fruit medley, which contained passionfruit (or at least that’s what the girls and I deduced from the little seeds), so I was under the impression passionfruit was sweet and yummy. False. Super tart; same with the citrus. Papaya is yummy though, and so is avocado.
[Oranges in the market.]
[Passionfruit.]3. How relatively cheap everything is. 1 USD is approximately 2,200 shillings. I got a litre of bottled water for ~25 cents in Kampala, and when we stopped for lunch in Masaka, two vegetable samosas cost ~80 cents. Not surprisingly, imported goods are expensive, like Jif (the peanut butter brand). I should have been smart like Lauren and brought a jar with me... alas.
4. Sleeping/hanging out underneath my bednet. It is pink and makes me feel like a princess. It also keeps me safe from mean mosquitoes, which brings me to my next "like"...
5. Ultrathon! What a great find--no bites thus far (one tick, but I guess that doesn’t count). Granted, it is the dry season here, but I’m pretty sure I’m going to be a loyal Ultrathon consumer for the rest of my life.
6. The ~1 hour car ride to Kashongi. Level of enjoyment varies depending on weather, dust, and mood, but I like looking out the window and having some time to collect my thoughts at the beginning and end of each day in the field.
7. The World Cup. Kinda self-explanatory. It’s in Africa; I’m in Africa. People here actually care; I care.
8. The hospitality and grace of the people here. Everyone is incredibly warm and respectful, and it has been an absolute delight to interact with Ugandans, from our drivers and Gordon at Tank Hill to our partners and colleagues on the intervention and even just the children who are always curious and excited to see us.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
SM: Perspectives From the Other Side
I worked at SM today! It may have been my first day at the intervention, but I hope it’s not my last.
I spent the morning with WSH, but after our meeting with the CVCs, we didn’t need everyone for the focus group and collecting water samples, thus my switch. I actually enjoyed it a great deal--much more than I initially thought I would. (I know, what a preemptive naysayer.)
SM was a fairly easy transition. While WSH is more about creation and planning something entirely new, like our education campaign, SM is all about routine and picking up your roles quickly. I mainly worked at the prescription station with Sister Jackie, who prescribes both “routine” drugs (folic acid, fansidar, ferrous sulfate, and mebendazole) and drugs for complications (panadol/paracetamol, amoxyl/amoxicillin, and erythromycin). As she dictated what she needed, I gathered the drugs, handily pre-bagged in standard quantities, and filled out the prescription instructions sheet. Because there was some confusion last year about the prescriptions, Claire created this sheet in Runyankole so the women can know exactly what they are taking and the specific directions. Whenever I could, I would be counting out and bagging more medications so we’d always have a ready supply on hand.
During a brief break in the afternoon, Jacques, our on the ground coordinator, taught me how to take blood pressure (with stethoscope and cuff), so I was able to help record vitals after that. I ended up going back to Sister Jackie shortly after we finished registering the last few women, though.
The routine and structure of SM was a welcome change from the sometimes-messy and unpredictable processes of WSH, but ironically, SM regulars wish there would be more room for creation and initiative in the intervention. That said, the grass may look greener on the other side, but I think it’s important to remember that this summer is not about us and that we should make the best of our situation--whichever group we’re in.
Back to WSH tomorrow.
P.S. An interesting thing I noticed when I took vitals: Many women have no idea what you’re doing. For example, we had a tape measure set up for height, but when you tried to demonstrate standing next to it, she would often just stand up straighter where she was (like 3 feet away from the measure). Same deal with trying to get them to put their arm out for the BP cuff or putting the thermometer underneath their tongue. The language barrier certainly doesn’t help matters. I really need to learn more Runyankole, but unfortunately I’m afraid WSH people are lagging a bit behind SM because we don’t need it as regularly.
I spent the morning with WSH, but after our meeting with the CVCs, we didn’t need everyone for the focus group and collecting water samples, thus my switch. I actually enjoyed it a great deal--much more than I initially thought I would. (I know, what a preemptive naysayer.)
SM was a fairly easy transition. While WSH is more about creation and planning something entirely new, like our education campaign, SM is all about routine and picking up your roles quickly. I mainly worked at the prescription station with Sister Jackie, who prescribes both “routine” drugs (folic acid, fansidar, ferrous sulfate, and mebendazole) and drugs for complications (panadol/paracetamol, amoxyl/amoxicillin, and erythromycin). As she dictated what she needed, I gathered the drugs, handily pre-bagged in standard quantities, and filled out the prescription instructions sheet. Because there was some confusion last year about the prescriptions, Claire created this sheet in Runyankole so the women can know exactly what they are taking and the specific directions. Whenever I could, I would be counting out and bagging more medications so we’d always have a ready supply on hand.
During a brief break in the afternoon, Jacques, our on the ground coordinator, taught me how to take blood pressure (with stethoscope and cuff), so I was able to help record vitals after that. I ended up going back to Sister Jackie shortly after we finished registering the last few women, though.
The routine and structure of SM was a welcome change from the sometimes-messy and unpredictable processes of WSH, but ironically, SM regulars wish there would be more room for creation and initiative in the intervention. That said, the grass may look greener on the other side, but I think it’s important to remember that this summer is not about us and that we should make the best of our situation--whichever group we’re in.
Back to WSH tomorrow.
P.S. An interesting thing I noticed when I took vitals: Many women have no idea what you’re doing. For example, we had a tape measure set up for height, but when you tried to demonstrate standing next to it, she would often just stand up straighter where she was (like 3 feet away from the measure). Same deal with trying to get them to put their arm out for the BP cuff or putting the thermometer underneath their tongue. The language barrier certainly doesn’t help matters. I really need to learn more Runyankole, but unfortunately I’m afraid WSH people are lagging a bit behind SM because we don’t need it as regularly.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Happy Father's Day!
It's been an uneventful weekend in Mbarara (lots of reading and Glee - it was a "me" weekend), but I wanted to wish my dad a Happy Father's Day! I wish I could be home to celebrate it with him and my family; Skype and telephone calls are just not the same.
Being out of my comfort zone here in Uganda has made me even more thankful for all the support and love of my parents. As much as I might miss home at times, I know I have a work ethic and mentality that will ultimately produce a summer I can be proud of when I return to the States, and I know I have a pretty solid head on my shoulders. I have my parents to thank for so much of who I am today, and I am forever grateful for that.
Being out of my comfort zone here in Uganda has made me even more thankful for all the support and love of my parents. As much as I might miss home at times, I know I have a work ethic and mentality that will ultimately produce a summer I can be proud of when I return to the States, and I know I have a pretty solid head on my shoulders. I have my parents to thank for so much of who I am today, and I am forever grateful for that.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
On Office Work and Sustainability
"In this life we cannot do great things. We can only do small things with great love." –Mother Teresa
I’m spending the day in the MMHF offices again (I did so yesterday as well), but I don’t mind not going out to the field so much. I’ll have plenty of opportunity to work in Kashongi as the summer wears on, but for now, it’s most important for me to be here, where I can more effectively work on our WSH education campaign.
The work has been going really well. Because WSH is a new project this year, all of our roles--I was placed in charge of training community educators--are much more flexible than in SM, and we weren’t (and still aren’t) exactly sure how everything would pan out. Tuesday, our first day of the intervention, provided us with a much clearer idea of what we need to do in the upcoming weeks.
After discussions with the CVCs (Community Volunteer Coordinators), we decided upon a poster campaign to complement brief educational talks at the openings of rainwater tanks; the CVCs themselves thought this might be particularly effective, especially since families are likely to hang posters on their walls, which tend to be sparsely decorated. As a result, we’ve been working on small posters for a household’s kitchen area and sanitation facilities, each which will emphasize relevant and important components of water safety and hygiene. For example, the sanitation facilities poster stresses the importance of washing one’s hands after using the toilet, while the kitchen poster demonstrates how to properly treat and store water as to prevent recontamination, a common problem. The number and size of these posters is TBD; it depends on our available funds and the price of having these posters printed.
I’m actually quite enthusiastic about our work. There’s an aspect to it that is far more sustainable than SM. In four (well, now just over three) weeks, we’ll be done distributing bednets and medications, our midwives will pack up, and the antenatal services will end as our follow-ups begin. Don’t get me wrong--SM is still extremely important, especially with the limited availability of antenatal care in Kashongi. But four weeks out of 12 months in a year is very, very short.
My hope is that with the distribution of posters and the installation of these rainwater harvesting tanks (and the training/creation of community committees responsible for their upkeep and maintenance), WSH will have a greater impact that lasts far beyond our departure. Many things can go wrong--the committees shirk on their responsibilities and the tanks break down within months, people don’t or are unable to practice good hand-washing habits, unsafe containers continue to be used for water storage--but there is certainly reason for hope. And hope I will.
I’m spending the day in the MMHF offices again (I did so yesterday as well), but I don’t mind not going out to the field so much. I’ll have plenty of opportunity to work in Kashongi as the summer wears on, but for now, it’s most important for me to be here, where I can more effectively work on our WSH education campaign.
The work has been going really well. Because WSH is a new project this year, all of our roles--I was placed in charge of training community educators--are much more flexible than in SM, and we weren’t (and still aren’t) exactly sure how everything would pan out. Tuesday, our first day of the intervention, provided us with a much clearer idea of what we need to do in the upcoming weeks.
After discussions with the CVCs (Community Volunteer Coordinators), we decided upon a poster campaign to complement brief educational talks at the openings of rainwater tanks; the CVCs themselves thought this might be particularly effective, especially since families are likely to hang posters on their walls, which tend to be sparsely decorated. As a result, we’ve been working on small posters for a household’s kitchen area and sanitation facilities, each which will emphasize relevant and important components of water safety and hygiene. For example, the sanitation facilities poster stresses the importance of washing one’s hands after using the toilet, while the kitchen poster demonstrates how to properly treat and store water as to prevent recontamination, a common problem. The number and size of these posters is TBD; it depends on our available funds and the price of having these posters printed.
I’m actually quite enthusiastic about our work. There’s an aspect to it that is far more sustainable than SM. In four (well, now just over three) weeks, we’ll be done distributing bednets and medications, our midwives will pack up, and the antenatal services will end as our follow-ups begin. Don’t get me wrong--SM is still extremely important, especially with the limited availability of antenatal care in Kashongi. But four weeks out of 12 months in a year is very, very short.
My hope is that with the distribution of posters and the installation of these rainwater harvesting tanks (and the training/creation of community committees responsible for their upkeep and maintenance), WSH will have a greater impact that lasts far beyond our departure. Many things can go wrong--the committees shirk on their responsibilities and the tanks break down within months, people don’t or are unable to practice good hand-washing habits, unsafe containers continue to be used for water storage--but there is certainly reason for hope. And hope I will.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Sign Language
Assorted signs since I've been in Uganda:
[Painted on the side of a concrete building in Kashongi. Yay WSH!]
[Good point, but I'm not so sure about the spelling...]
[Lots of signs/posters against cross-generational sex as a part of HIV prevention campaigns.]
[Indeed, the restaurant where we had our first Ugandan meal in Kampala was very nice.]
[Painted on the side of a concrete building in Kashongi. Yay WSH!]
[Good point, but I'm not so sure about the spelling...]
[Lots of signs/posters against cross-generational sex as a part of HIV prevention campaigns.]
[Indeed, the restaurant where we had our first Ugandan meal in Kampala was very nice.]First Day in the Field
June 15, 2010
Here are some pictures from Tuesday. In the morning, we (WSH) waited for SM to get situated before we left to meet amongst ourselves. We also examined some existing water tanks, spoke with the CVCs re: how to best implement our education campaign, and collected water samples from sources around the sub-county.
One of the highlights of my day was visiting local schools; the schoolchildren were so excited to see us! When we took a picture with one of the classes, the students on the far side of the classroom weren’t fitting in the photo, so the teacher told them to come closer. Suddenly, ALL of the students in the room rushed towards us. Absolutely adorable. I don’t have the photo yet, but I’ll post it when I do.
[SM setting up in the morning.]
[Bean practicing taking blood pressure on me.]
[Checking out a water tank. The guy in the orange on top--Jordan from MMHF--ran SM last year and will be in charge of WSH this year. He's been invaluable to our work!]
[People collecting water in jerrycans at a working borehole. One of the locations where we had to obtain a water sample for testing the quality.]
Here are some pictures from Tuesday. In the morning, we (WSH) waited for SM to get situated before we left to meet amongst ourselves. We also examined some existing water tanks, spoke with the CVCs re: how to best implement our education campaign, and collected water samples from sources around the sub-county.
One of the highlights of my day was visiting local schools; the schoolchildren were so excited to see us! When we took a picture with one of the classes, the students on the far side of the classroom weren’t fitting in the photo, so the teacher told them to come closer. Suddenly, ALL of the students in the room rushed towards us. Absolutely adorable. I don’t have the photo yet, but I’ll post it when I do.
[SM setting up in the morning.]
[Bean practicing taking blood pressure on me.]
[Checking out a water tank. The guy in the orange on top--Jordan from MMHF--ran SM last year and will be in charge of WSH this year. He's been invaluable to our work!]
[People collecting water in jerrycans at a working borehole. One of the locations where we had to obtain a water sample for testing the quality.]Monday, June 14, 2010
Learning New Things Everyday
"Ugandan women are very fertile." -Dr. Mubumbo, our second guest lecturer at MMHF who spoke on the Ugandan health system
*There are 125 trained obstetricians in all of Uganda. 98 of those are in Kampala, while Mbarara is lucky enough to have 8. Most districts don’t have any at all.
*There is one--yes, one--MRI machine in the entirety of Uganda. It’s located in Kampala.
*The prevalence rate of HIV is ~6.4 percent in the general population, ~6.5 percent in pregnant women, and ~10 percent in Mbarara. At one point, rates were down to approximately 4 percent, but when preventative education efforts relaxed (for example, the ABC campaign: Abstinence, Be faithful, and Condomize), the rates rose again to ~8 percent. These numbers are still low compared to other African nations like South Africa.
*Each Ugandan woman has an average of 7 children. The Ugandan government will subsidize schooling for 4 children up through 7th grade.
*Oil reserves have been discovered in Western Uganda. Although some people here are excited by the implications for Uganda’s development, others worry it will lead to an "oil curse" (like in Nigeria) and not benefit the country. Exploitation is another possible outcome.
*Uganda graduates approximately 200 doctors per year. Of those, only about 50 doctors choose to stay in the country. The rest travel to greener prospects--the U.S., Europe. Those who stay typically opt for private practice due to the higher salaries and poor public resources.
*On epidurals and childbirth: "I usually call that a luxury of the West." This was from our first lecturer on antenatal care, when someone in the group asked him about the availability of pain relief during labor. This isn’t surprising to me given the facilities and extant of the resource-constrained limitations we’ve seen.
A glimpse of the main street in Mbarara:
*There are 125 trained obstetricians in all of Uganda. 98 of those are in Kampala, while Mbarara is lucky enough to have 8. Most districts don’t have any at all.
*There is one--yes, one--MRI machine in the entirety of Uganda. It’s located in Kampala.
*The prevalence rate of HIV is ~6.4 percent in the general population, ~6.5 percent in pregnant women, and ~10 percent in Mbarara. At one point, rates were down to approximately 4 percent, but when preventative education efforts relaxed (for example, the ABC campaign: Abstinence, Be faithful, and Condomize), the rates rose again to ~8 percent. These numbers are still low compared to other African nations like South Africa.
*Each Ugandan woman has an average of 7 children. The Ugandan government will subsidize schooling for 4 children up through 7th grade.
*Oil reserves have been discovered in Western Uganda. Although some people here are excited by the implications for Uganda’s development, others worry it will lead to an "oil curse" (like in Nigeria) and not benefit the country. Exploitation is another possible outcome.
*Uganda graduates approximately 200 doctors per year. Of those, only about 50 doctors choose to stay in the country. The rest travel to greener prospects--the U.S., Europe. Those who stay typically opt for private practice due to the higher salaries and poor public resources.
*On epidurals and childbirth: "I usually call that a luxury of the West." This was from our first lecturer on antenatal care, when someone in the group asked him about the availability of pain relief during labor. This isn’t surprising to me given the facilities and extant of the resource-constrained limitations we’ve seen.
A glimpse of the main street in Mbarara:
An Introduction to Kashongi
June 14, 2010
We made our first trip to the sub-county of Kashongi today, where we’ll be carrying out our interventions. It takes about an hour to commute from Mbarara. One part of the drive is on paved roads (something I will not take for granted again), although there are the occasional potholes and uneven patches, while the stretch leading up to Kashongi is an extremely bumpy dirt road.
[This is Kashongi's airstrip--the red gravel path on the other side of the fence.]
Our SM intervention will take place at four different health centers in Kashongi. Those assigned to SM will rotate between them daily, and the first day starts tomorrow at the health center closest to the sub-county office. Monday’s location take place near a weekly market (lots of pregnant women will be around; we attracted a curious crowd when we arrived and Dr. Mugerwa explained both SM and WSH to the people in Runyankole), while Wednesday’s and Thursday’s locations are more remote.
[Wednesday's location. This is where there is normally only one health worker.]
[The road leading up to Wednesday's health center.]
We’re limiting the number of women we can see each day to 50 women in order to ensure an effective quantity. Those who arrive after the first 50 will be told that we’ll be back the same day the next week and given a scheduled appointment so they know they will receive services when they come again. We obviously don’t want to turn women down, but last year, SM would be swamped some days with as many as 100-some pregnant mothers. When that happened, they had to limit the time spent consulting with each mother and couldn’t provide an ultrasound to every woman, a goal for this year.
As for the WSH group, our roles are still in the making since it’s the first year of the project. SM has a year’s experience under its belt; we still don’t quite know what to expect. On Tuesday, I’m meeting with CVCs to discuss some aspects of our education curriculum. I believe we’re also running a focus group. Hopefully our first day goes well!
[Our visit to a dam, which is the source of water for both people and animals in one village.]
[A borehole (pump) that was installed by the government in the past but no longer works.]
[My first crested crane sighting! Two of them were perched up in this tree next to the dam.]
We made our first trip to the sub-county of Kashongi today, where we’ll be carrying out our interventions. It takes about an hour to commute from Mbarara. One part of the drive is on paved roads (something I will not take for granted again), although there are the occasional potholes and uneven patches, while the stretch leading up to Kashongi is an extremely bumpy dirt road.
[This is Kashongi's airstrip--the red gravel path on the other side of the fence.]Our SM intervention will take place at four different health centers in Kashongi. Those assigned to SM will rotate between them daily, and the first day starts tomorrow at the health center closest to the sub-county office. Monday’s location take place near a weekly market (lots of pregnant women will be around; we attracted a curious crowd when we arrived and Dr. Mugerwa explained both SM and WSH to the people in Runyankole), while Wednesday’s and Thursday’s locations are more remote.
[Wednesday's location. This is where there is normally only one health worker.]
[The road leading up to Wednesday's health center.]We’re limiting the number of women we can see each day to 50 women in order to ensure an effective quantity. Those who arrive after the first 50 will be told that we’ll be back the same day the next week and given a scheduled appointment so they know they will receive services when they come again. We obviously don’t want to turn women down, but last year, SM would be swamped some days with as many as 100-some pregnant mothers. When that happened, they had to limit the time spent consulting with each mother and couldn’t provide an ultrasound to every woman, a goal for this year.
As for the WSH group, our roles are still in the making since it’s the first year of the project. SM has a year’s experience under its belt; we still don’t quite know what to expect. On Tuesday, I’m meeting with CVCs to discuss some aspects of our education curriculum. I believe we’re also running a focus group. Hopefully our first day goes well!
[Our visit to a dam, which is the source of water for both people and animals in one village.]
[A borehole (pump) that was installed by the government in the past but no longer works.]
[My first crested crane sighting! Two of them were perched up in this tree next to the dam.]Running in Mbarara
June 14, 2010
I had a fairly low-key, restful weekend, which is good because our projects begin tomorrow (Tuesday). There is--and will continue to be--so much to be done, so I didn’t mind just chilling.
On Saturday, I started the day with a run with all the girls (what a health conscious group!). There’s a convenient loop around our hostel, and it’s very safe, although we make sure to stay in groups. I think we are something of a spectacle though, since (1) people don’t run much here like in the States (although we are seeing increasing numbers of local runners) and (2) most people have probably never seen such a large group of muzungo (white person/people), let alone running muzungo.
It’s hard running here! Mbarara is at a higher altitude than I’m accustomed to--around 5,000 ft. above sea level, so my lungs definitely work harder for oxygen, and the pressure in my ears was killing me by the end of my run. Hopefully I’ll become acclimated soon.
For the rest of Saturday, we visited the Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST), listened to two lecturers at MMHF (the first was on antenatal care; the second concerned the Ugandan health system), went to a track meet at Mbarara Secondary School (what they called “Sports Day”), and later that night, had a group meeting to discuss our upcoming week.
The track meet was definitely a fun, yet interesting, experience. First of all, the track is spray-painted on a grass field, and the start of a race begins with a hand-held wooden clapper. Parents and teachers sat on wooden benches underneath a white tent, while the rest of the onlookers stood around the track or watched from a slight hill or from school windows. Even in the heat, some pupils continued wearing their uniform sweaters.
[A still capture from a video I took at the meet. You can see the black lines spraypainted on the grass.]
I was even more amazed by the attire of the runners themselves. Many ran barefoot 9even for the long distance events that required 12 laps), and it seemed like they ran in whatever they had. Some girls ran in knee-length skirts, while some boys wore board shorts, jean cutoffs, or even floor-length workout pants. A few runners did have actually running clothes. They had a really fast girl who had competed and won accolades at the national level, and she was wearing her shirt from a race in Kampala. She had no competition here, so it was obvious she was just cruising; she slowed down to run with another girl and provide some encouragement.
[Everyone was extremely friendly and curious at the meet, and they would frequently come up to us and want to meet us. We even got a question about President Obama.]
Finally, there was an announcer who was quite entertaining. He commentated over the music in both hilarious English and Runyankole and encouraged the crowed to provide morale for the runners.
Some gems:
*"If you feel that your life is not right, please go to the health tent."
*"People standing on this side of the track, please go away."
*"We have people of many talents here: runners, singers, magicians..."
I took video at the meet, but there’s no way I can upload it here (or email it to Adam), so perhaps I’ll have to make an all-encompassing video post when I’m back in the States.
I had a fairly low-key, restful weekend, which is good because our projects begin tomorrow (Tuesday). There is--and will continue to be--so much to be done, so I didn’t mind just chilling.
On Saturday, I started the day with a run with all the girls (what a health conscious group!). There’s a convenient loop around our hostel, and it’s very safe, although we make sure to stay in groups. I think we are something of a spectacle though, since (1) people don’t run much here like in the States (although we are seeing increasing numbers of local runners) and (2) most people have probably never seen such a large group of muzungo (white person/people), let alone running muzungo.
It’s hard running here! Mbarara is at a higher altitude than I’m accustomed to--around 5,000 ft. above sea level, so my lungs definitely work harder for oxygen, and the pressure in my ears was killing me by the end of my run. Hopefully I’ll become acclimated soon.
For the rest of Saturday, we visited the Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST), listened to two lecturers at MMHF (the first was on antenatal care; the second concerned the Ugandan health system), went to a track meet at Mbarara Secondary School (what they called “Sports Day”), and later that night, had a group meeting to discuss our upcoming week.
The track meet was definitely a fun, yet interesting, experience. First of all, the track is spray-painted on a grass field, and the start of a race begins with a hand-held wooden clapper. Parents and teachers sat on wooden benches underneath a white tent, while the rest of the onlookers stood around the track or watched from a slight hill or from school windows. Even in the heat, some pupils continued wearing their uniform sweaters.
[A still capture from a video I took at the meet. You can see the black lines spraypainted on the grass.]I was even more amazed by the attire of the runners themselves. Many ran barefoot 9even for the long distance events that required 12 laps), and it seemed like they ran in whatever they had. Some girls ran in knee-length skirts, while some boys wore board shorts, jean cutoffs, or even floor-length workout pants. A few runners did have actually running clothes. They had a really fast girl who had competed and won accolades at the national level, and she was wearing her shirt from a race in Kampala. She had no competition here, so it was obvious she was just cruising; she slowed down to run with another girl and provide some encouragement.
[Everyone was extremely friendly and curious at the meet, and they would frequently come up to us and want to meet us. We even got a question about President Obama.]Finally, there was an announcer who was quite entertaining. He commentated over the music in both hilarious English and Runyankole and encouraged the crowed to provide morale for the runners.
Some gems:
*"If you feel that your life is not right, please go to the health tent."
*"People standing on this side of the track, please go away."
*"We have people of many talents here: runners, singers, magicians..."
I took video at the meet, but there’s no way I can upload it here (or email it to Adam), so perhaps I’ll have to make an all-encompassing video post when I’m back in the States.
Water!
"We never know the worth of water till the well is dry." -Thomas Fuller
June 14, 2010
The water is finally back!
We’ve been without running water since Saturday night, so no one has been able to shower (a good excuse to not go running), flush toilets, wash hands, etc. Brushing teeth has been okay since we use bottled water, but not being able to properly wash my face was beginning to get to me since I’m in the habit of doing it both morning and night. I did my best with a wet washcloth, though.
Finally took a shower this morning, and even though only the bottom spigot worked and not the actual showerhead, I have never been so happy to take a cold shower. Ahhh.
UPDATE (06/15/10): Looks like I spoke too soon. Water is out again, and from what we've heard, it's going to be a running problem throughout the summer.
June 14, 2010
The water is finally back!
We’ve been without running water since Saturday night, so no one has been able to shower (a good excuse to not go running), flush toilets, wash hands, etc. Brushing teeth has been okay since we use bottled water, but not being able to properly wash my face was beginning to get to me since I’m in the habit of doing it both morning and night. I did my best with a wet washcloth, though.
Finally took a shower this morning, and even though only the bottom spigot worked and not the actual showerhead, I have never been so happy to take a cold shower. Ahhh.
UPDATE (06/15/10): Looks like I spoke too soon. Water is out again, and from what we've heard, it's going to be a running problem throughout the summer.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Gratitude
A HUGE thank you to Adam, who helped me get these pictures uploaded into the posts since my internet connection here makes uploading images nearly impossible. My blog posts would be so bland without him! This may be the system we need to use for the rest of the summer, so bear with me if my blog posts come in spurts every few days. I do try to date the posts at the top when I have to wait to post them, so hopefully that helps with the sequence of events.
Also: Adam uploaded small pictures for the sake of speed and bandwidth, but if you click on the image, it should take you to a larger version!
Happy reading!
Also: Adam uploaded small pictures for the sake of speed and bandwidth, but if you click on the image, it should take you to a larger version!
Happy reading!
Saturday, June 12, 2010
My Temporary Home
We’re staying at Tank Hill Hostels in Mbarara. Usually, the hostel houses local university students, but since it’s the summer, the rooms are empty and available for our use.
[The first ramp you see (closest to where I stood taking the photograph) leads to our dining area. The second one, which is further down, leads to our living areas.]
[This is the hallway once you enter the second door I pointed out above and make a quick left.]
[Looking in the opposite direction of the hallway picture. A bird accidentally got in one day, so I snapped a picture before Claire opened the window to let it fly away.]
[The view looking into my room. Desk on the right is for working, since there were less ants on it. Desk on the left is for my bagged toiletries and other assorted things.]
The rooms are single rooms so that’s quite nice (especially when we’re spending so much time with our group members during the day), and each bed is equipped with a mosquito bednet. I’m on the first floor with the other rising seniors, while the rest of the group is upstairs on the second floor.
[View looking out of my room.]
[My mosquito bednet makes me feel (1) quite safe and (2) like a princess. I'm a fan. I sleep with my alarm clock, eyeglass case for when I take off my glasses to sleep, and my dad's headlamp underneath the net with me.]
The rooms definitely take some getting used to, though. For example, I’m not a huge fan of bugs and other creepy crawlers, but you definitely co-exist with them here. I quickly “unchose” the first room I picked because it was infested with grasshoppers, but it turns out that grasshoppers are EVERYWHERE – in the hallways, in the showers with you, on the sinks watching you brush your teeth, chilling on the sides of walls. I’m pretty sure I saw a lizard just run up my wall just now, and I saw my first ever in-person praying mantis last night (it flew at me after I tried taking close-up pictures of it). I don’t like you any more than you like me, buddy.
Other things that will take getting used to: Brushing my teeth with sterilized water (bringing Aquafresh Extreme Clean was a mistake; I think it’s probably the most foamy toothpaste in the world), showering with cold water (nope, still not used to it), and the squat toilets we have on our floor (!). Oh man.
[The first ramp you see (closest to where I stood taking the photograph) leads to our dining area. The second one, which is further down, leads to our living areas.]
[This is the hallway once you enter the second door I pointed out above and make a quick left.]
[Looking in the opposite direction of the hallway picture. A bird accidentally got in one day, so I snapped a picture before Claire opened the window to let it fly away.]
[The view looking into my room. Desk on the right is for working, since there were less ants on it. Desk on the left is for my bagged toiletries and other assorted things.]The rooms are single rooms so that’s quite nice (especially when we’re spending so much time with our group members during the day), and each bed is equipped with a mosquito bednet. I’m on the first floor with the other rising seniors, while the rest of the group is upstairs on the second floor.
[View looking out of my room.]
[My mosquito bednet makes me feel (1) quite safe and (2) like a princess. I'm a fan. I sleep with my alarm clock, eyeglass case for when I take off my glasses to sleep, and my dad's headlamp underneath the net with me.]The rooms definitely take some getting used to, though. For example, I’m not a huge fan of bugs and other creepy crawlers, but you definitely co-exist with them here. I quickly “unchose” the first room I picked because it was infested with grasshoppers, but it turns out that grasshoppers are EVERYWHERE – in the hallways, in the showers with you, on the sinks watching you brush your teeth, chilling on the sides of walls. I’m pretty sure I saw a lizard just run up my wall just now, and I saw my first ever in-person praying mantis last night (it flew at me after I tried taking close-up pictures of it). I don’t like you any more than you like me, buddy.
Other things that will take getting used to: Brushing my teeth with sterilized water (bringing Aquafresh Extreme Clean was a mistake; I think it’s probably the most foamy toothpaste in the world), showering with cold water (nope, still not used to it), and the squat toilets we have on our floor (!). Oh man.
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