After nearly two days of intermittent electricity and internet I succumb to writing in a Word doc and publishing when I can so this post will be filled with random reports from the last two days. As I write the electricity has gone out again.
I am sitting in my room waiting to go down the hill to watch and learn basket making as the first huge thunderstorm is coming through. Lightening strikes in what seems to be directly over my head with loud thunder immediately following. At some point I may just brave the wet and head down as I don’t want to spend my time here not amongst the people.
The last two days have been so full of touring and visiting all the programs of KIDA. I am amazed at everything they do from the clinic to the hospital to vocational school to savings programs to working with orphans. It is a never-ending circle of empowering the local people who attend the programs and then very often begin working for KIDA.
A snipet of some of the stories from the last two days…..
Yesterday we attended a staff meeting and the staff satisfaction is off the charts. Many shared why they work here with all stories ending with “I love my job so much”. I was struck by an older woman who has been living with AIDS for over 20 years and is now a peer mother working in the villages with HIV positive mothers wanting to give back and help teach them about living with HIV. They are so thrilled we are here and can not stop thanking us for what we do for them. They continue to thank God for his many blessings on their lives.
We were able to don scrubs and visit the operating theatre (where I lived out my fantasies of being a doctor). The anesthesia machine, donated by gifts of many of you, sat proudly by the operating table and the staff was so appreciative of the gift and how it has changed their work. Debbie was able to do an ultrasound on a mother who had come in to find out the sex of her baby (It's a boy!) The machine is another gift from FORF donors.
We were treated to a performance by a young drum/dance teen. These young people dance traditional Ugandan dances in stunning clothing. They have saved over 4million shillings and are hoping to add a brass band to their team to make more money by playing at weddings and other events. Two of these youth come from the OVC (orphans and vulnerable children) program.
Today I was able to meet Justine who is the first and only girl in the bricklaying portion of the vocational school. She is graduating in three months and hopes to begin a career of bricklaying locally.
I was able to meet and take a photo with Dorothy (some of you may remember from FB or the newsletter) who was sponsored by KIDA is now working for them and is giving a small part of her salary back to sponsor an orphan of her own.
It was distribution day for ARV (anti-retroviral) drugs so they clinic was full of men, women and children waiting to get their drugs. The drugs are provided for free by the government but the people must come to the same clinic where they are registered to get them and get all their vitals taken. They also have counseling for all of
them.
So there is just a quick glimpse into my days. I will write again when I return this evening- internet and electricity-willing.