Today I did rotations at the clinic. I worked with all of the staff and they taught me about what they do. I love getting to know the local people who live here, especially the staff because they rock!!
On Tuesday I went to PTC, a group of local men and women who have tested positive for HIV. They all meet each Tuesday at the clinic to budget and save money, and to obtain continuing eduction about their virus and how they can remain healthy. It was fun to meet with them and learn from them, even though there is a language barrier.
On Wednesday I rearranged the pharmacy, created small bottles of soap to give to FIMRC's OVCs (orphans and vulnerable children- they and their parents, if they are not yet orphans, have HIV), and then went on outreach. Outreach is about visiting families far from the clinic to ensure safe living conditions and provide continued education about sanitation and nutrition and other topics concerning health. We hiked (literally) up the side of the mountain for about an hour and a half until we reached a home at the very top. At this home, we then inspected it for sanitation and other various things (is there a latrine, a place for bathing and washing hands, a mosquito net in the bedroom, a double drying rack for dishes, is water being treated or boiled before consumption, etc. . .). The home was very modest but they worked very hard. I watched the son milk a cow, and then invite us into his home to drink a HUGE hot glass of that very milk (Im thinking that maybe this is where i got sick). In Uganda, if you visit a home, they must invite you in for food or some other offering, and it is very rude for you to decline. You must stay and partake, which can be a very hard thing when you know they have absolutely nothing. So me and a staff member and 2 other volunteers sat down in this small home and drank huge mugs of boiled milk, straight from the cow, and this fried dough. It was such a kind gesture, but man, it was hard because i knew it may be the only food they have to eat, for who knows how long. Kind of a surreal experience.
A typical home in Bududa
An Ugandan shower room
View from the top
After attempting to visit other homes, we quickly discovered everyone (and yes, I really mean everyone) had gone to a funeral of a 90 year old woman. So, we went too! I attended my first Ugandan funeral service, on the side of a mountain in someone's front yard. There was much singing. It was like a party, or a celebration, more than a mourning. I didn't see a single person cry. Where I am, in Bududa, it seems that many people are very religious, and death is more of a passage back to God. People mourn the day before the funeral and then not at the funeral. Instead, they sing!
That night, I got to hold a new born baby. His mother is 19. So many young women have babies here. . . . And then drop put of school. The clinic really pushes birth control because women have so so many babies, and they can't afford to take care of them, so the severe poverty cycle continues. It's so sad, really. Some families have 9 kids, and the mother is 25, and they make about 50 dollars a month. Can you even imagine?! I see it every day and even then, I still cannot comprehend how challenging it must be.
I also took another bucket bath. . . In the dark. At one point I finally shined a light on the wall, and saw this giant 3 inch long slug . . . !!!
I'm so grateful to be here. It is a blessing and I can't believe I'm here most of the time. I love being here, and just living. The simple life is one I enjoy and cherish. I'm learning a bit of the language and practicing with the locals, and also teaching them a bit of Spanish, too;) they love it, actually, it's great!! Thank you to everyone who has allowed me to be here, via donations or buying a shirt or your prayers. I love you and am grateful for you. I could never forget the time I am spending here in Uganda. It can be very difficult because the conditions are very sad and unclean in many areas I have seen, but they are a happy people. I am learning everyday from them, and am so grateful.
No comments:
Post a Comment