Old post - I didn't get a chance to throw this one up till now

6-13-09

Arrived on site at the Youth with a mission (YWAM) offices today, spent the morning getting some last minute supplies in Kampala. Drive from Kampala to Jinja was quite delayed by some minor road construction, kinda made me feel like I was back in Madison. The actual office/residence of the YWAM is a lot larger than I expected; the dormitory hosts seven people including me, apparently the offices attached hold many more workers during the weekdays. It is a mix of internationals and Ugandans, there is another American here, which makes it seem a little less foreign. According to the staff, I am the first muzungu boy to come to stay at this residence.
The shower that I had in Kampala did not work very well, so I ended up keeping my self clean with just a sink and a few wet wipes (thanks Jessica). First thing I did after eating this evening was step into the shower; although the water is not heated it was still a much needed and welcoming sensation. Since I’m still in the mere process of moving my stuff in, I haven’t had a chance to get specifics about my activities over the next few months. I did however have a brief chat with the organization’s administrative head, Sandra, about some of the programs that she’d like me to try out this week.
First off, I got some corrections on the nature of the Kangulumira clinic. It is a purely outpatient facility, so it is not geared towards major surgeries, extended care, etc. It is apparently hard to find, Sandra recommended someone taking me there a few times. I’ll be working under the clinic officer for a little while as I figure out exactly what I should be doing.
Tuesdays and Wednesdays see the maternal health teams meet in different villages, they do stuff like antenatal care, vaccinations, and various testing. During the next two weeks I’ll following a UK trained midwife around figuring out where I’m going to fit in there.
Finally, at dinner tonight I met a nice lady named Teresa who has been in the country a number of years and runs an organization that specializes in disabled children in Uganda. She actually already handed me my first assignment, she wants me to learn as much as I can about malnourishment over the next month or so. The purpose being that I will be her “nutritionist” for an event planned for July 10th.
The date just mentioned is actually less than four weeks away, which puts into perspective of how fast time is probably going to travel while I’m here. Before I know it, it’ll be August and time to change over to some projects off site for a few weeks. By the time that’s over it’ll be September and I expect that time to go even faster. Bottom line, I’m trying to document everything I do with as much detail as I can.

Well, time to crawl back under the mosquito net and get some sleep.