Friday, May 20, 2011

March

March 2011


Started off on a good note I was elected the as the GAD coordinator director, Home has been a lot of fun with all the volunteers that have been here. I have really made a nice home for myself everyone always says it’s so homey in here with pictures on the wall and it’s always clean. Work has been slow I am finding many projects to work on like World Malaria day, Teaching the Vocational school instructors how to teach children with special needs and helping the Providence Home get organized with NGO development.

April Blog: 2011

It’s been a world wind of emotions the past month with my favorite British couple gone and

50th anniversary celebration was a blast to see some of friends and to hang out with them and to meet some of the new volunteers. The day itself was exactly what I had expected but what are friends for. So the day started with coffee, free t-shirts and lots of hugs from friends have not seen in months. It was so nice seeing everyone and giving hugs to all the trainers I have not seen since I left training. We took a massive group picture and then off to our designate areas or volunteering in Leswea. I was to help pain a memorial on a primary schools building, but as we were walking to the school my good friend Mama Linda fell in a hole and sprained her ankle and going to aid I missed out on the day. So I spent most of the day helping Linda to Peace Corps Medical in Kampala therefore did not get to help paint the memorial, but it was nice to catch up with Linda and not waste away in the hot African sun painting. There was a posh reception at the end of the day where I spent the rest of the night dancing away with all my friends. Then it was back to the village.

Teddy is a 22 year old orphan who has been with the home for several years. She was brought to the home after multiple gunshot wounds left her no use of her legs. It was brought to my attention that Teddy was now 24 weeks pregnant and need medical treatment and the nuns of course where not so happy with her being disable, sneaking off to town and messing around with boys then coming back to the home pregnant. So with the help of Ducli and Kathy money we took Teddy to the local hospital so she could seek proper treatment. We then found out the she had Pre-clamisa and was in danger of not only losing her child but her life as well. This was practically difficult for me because I was going behind the backs of the nuns who obviously did not want Teddy to seek medical treatment for her condition.

It’s funny in Africa if you cross these nuns then are always and forever on their bad side and even in dire circumstances they kind of push you off to the side and well to be frank let you die. It’s weird because they perch forgiveness and love but do anything they don’t want you to do or make life harder for them then you are in trouble the rest of the days at Providence Home.

It’s not to say that these nuns don’t have compassion it’s just culture. Ugandan culture mainly is only the strong survive even in a home like this. I see this clearly now there is lack of funds for medical and food and no nurse as of right now so if children stay health do as they are told hopefully they can make it out of the home and become appreciative of what they were raised with. As for the weak well let’s hope that a donor or sponsor can help you.

It’s not malicious its just life here. Nothing more nothing less. They given these children and roof, some education, some medical and try to teach them everyday skills. Then they hope what they have taught them in the home over the years will help them in the real world Africa. It’s nice to see the one that have come so far and done so well for themselves. This home is so beautiful. Sr. Juliet background is Social work not Management she was telling me about how she never learned about disabilities in school and yet she is so good with these children.

Life is funny here it is the complete opposite of the world I was raised in and it makes it harder to see and live here on a daily biases how the home works.

I just hope that me being here can help in the long run and shine some light on management in the home, but only time will tell and well let’s face it time goes so slow here yet at the same time its already march I have been here six months. And still every day I learn something new about Ugandans and myself. Some good some bad. But I would not want to be anywhere else in the world. This is my new home and family. All the residents in the home are like family. It’s funny I left for no more than two days and when I reached the gate coming home all the children started screaming my name and telling me how much they missed me. I was so surprised because I was not even gone that long to be missed well in my mind anyway.