This weekend, Kristen and I got away from the village to take a much needed break. I white water rafted the Nile yesterday in the most narly rapids I have ever been in…we stayed in a tent over looking the river…listening to the jungle noises compete with the sounds of rushing water all night long…and watching monkeys play outside our tent in the morning….it was a great weekend. And I am ready face two more weeks before I meet up with Nick in Cairo.
The White Nile just north of the source
The tent over looking the nile
Enjoying wine, watching the Nile (behind me) and contemplating moving to Uganda to be a rafting guide! It was so freakin' amazing!! White girl meets Ugandan sunshine- I'm lobster lady now!
It was nice to step away and process the many experiences I have on a daily basis. The conditions, lack of equipment and supplies, lack of doctors and overall resources continues to boggle my mind. No vital signs are ever taken (blood pressure, what?), I have never seen a stethoscope on the maternity ward, a patient is required to bring their own supplies- gloves, guaze, plastic sheet, even a bottle of bleach to clean up the labor room after she delivers! If she needs an IV, her family goes out to by the IV supplies. If complications arise during labor, there is an ambulance to transfer the patient to a larger hospital however the ambulance doesn’t have gas. The family must find money to buy gas to transfer the patient. This could take hours. However, the women who come here have nothing! They are dirt poor. And they are so, so, so grateful for the midwives, the clinic, and the services they receive. The next best option would be delivering in the bush with no one to assist. A severe lesson in gratitude.
Sister Doreen listening to fetal heart tones of a mother in labor
A nursing student working with a pregnant patient with malaria. The maternity ward has been full this week with malaria patient
This is the hospital kitchen. All the patients bring their own bed linens and their families bring them food and drink. However, for patients whose families live too far away the hospital will prepare them food. They serve the staples in our region. Matoke (unripe banans, steamed and mashed) with G-nut sauce (ground peanuts made into an oily gravy)
When the labor room is quiet I work in the Antenatal Clinic. Women come in two or three at a time, lay on these beds while the midwives palpate their babies. Everything is done by their hands!! The nurses give out malaria and de-worming pills, and do HIV testing/counseling.
I also help out in the immunization clinic. Women come with their babies and wait in line all day for their babies to receive polio, DPT, measls, Hep B vaccines and vit A. My favorite nurse, Sister Florence runs the clinic. She is very passionate about helping fellow Ugandans and she works extremely hard.
And here is my hope! People with visions for something better and a drive to put all they have into helping other people. Enter Shanti Uganda on a mission to help people heal from a life filled with war, poverty, and the effects of HIV/AIDS on their families and communities. I am very disappointed the birth center is not open while I am here, but it will be open soon. It is beautiful, clean and will offer women a safe/proper delivery with equipment, supplies, and prenatal education.
A birth center in Uganda!
I have been working hard to help them with nursey/medical portions of the clinic operation. I’ve been able to visit many private and public hospitals in the capital Kampala. I think it is so interesting how money gets funneled to certain places and simple resources can significantly change health care!
A busy capital with horrible roads and lots of traffic can be very overwhelming
I’ve also met with a local herbalist who taught me about jungle medicine used in pregnancy and delivery. The local clan leader translated for me. A lot of the herbs used are for “evil spirits” which translate to me as complications (which is the US means meal-practice) . More research is needed to understand how to use these plants it was amazing to see her work. This is a good inexpensive option for benign problems when no money is available for other treatments.
This Ida holding medicinal plants. She lives in the bush and raises her 4 grandkids.
Shanti Uganda has two established income generating groups. One makes paper bead jewelry and the other makes bags which are then sold in Canada and the US. The 24 women all have HIV/AIDS and between them are raising 109 children. They are amazingly strong and lively. I did a nutrition class on foods to eat to help their immune systems and keep them healthy. They ate it up!!
The staple here is matoke (unripe bananas), potatoes, and casava. I taught the women about the health benefits of eggs, tomatoes, pineapple, avocados, beans, and so on. It was a lively discussion and they were so excited to learn!
It has been a busy few weeks. I am loving my experiences and enjoying the many people I am meeting.
Our neighbor's kids poking their heads through the compound gate.
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