A Visit from the Trans-Atlantic Easter Bunny!

So, it has been almost three months since my last blog- Apologies! There is much to write about, but sometimes, when your mind is overflowing with ideas, troubles, and excitement- all in one week- it can be difficult to sit and write. However, I received something yesterday in the mail- and it deserves attention, and has reminded me to blog about a recent holiday- Easter.

Yesterday, I was sitting at my desk, when a package arrived from Kampala- it was an Easter Basket in the form of a Flat Rate Postal Package, sent from a certain NY duo (AC and US). AH! The joys of opening an Easter basket in Uganda- 1.5 months after the official day! Included in it was (in addition to the wonderful card that said, "SOMEBUNNY MISSES YOU" and note that said the basket is packed with love, love, love) a plethora of goodies: jelly beans, tootsie rolls, M&Ms, chocolate chip/nut fudge bars, a t-shirt that only needs air to dry and no ironing, makeup, Vanilla body wash, Goldfish, Bunny honey grahams, Caramel sticks, Easter egg dye, organic applesauce, and much more (plus, even Easter grass was there)!

At my office, when I receive these packages or cards, the staff always, without fail, say, "They really love you back home. They are really missing you." AH, it is so! Now, my stomach will be satisfied, I can show my friends how to dye eggs, and my teeth can get the sugar they deserve!

My Easter here was quiet and peaceful. I had lunch with some friends and spent time talking to the family back home. Here, people dressed up in Easter dresses, however, these dresses were like mini-prom wear! Very fancy. I tried to explain that in the States, Easter was a time to wear nice, Spring time clothes- however, usually in WI or MN, it is still cold during the Easter season, the beautiful dresses and handsome outfits are covered by wool coats or bulky sweaters. It was difficult to explain because Spring time does not exist in Uganda (there are only two seasons- dry and rainy), and children can be seen in fancy clothes year-round (although not always mended and not always 100% clean). However, on this particular day, all children were clean, mended, and happy- they could be seen walking down the road with their families, in Easter outfits. Eight hours later, in the US, I know my three nieces and one nephew were also in their Easter clothing- without the wool jacket or bulky sweater!



All the Food and I!



The children enjoying the delicious meal


The Ladies Enjoying Easter Sunday


The little neighbor- all dressed up!


Washing dishes- this is how we do it... No sink and No Dishwasher!


Kafu and I on Easter morning

World AIDS Day 2009

AIDS is...
Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), is caused by a human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) that weakens the immune system, making the body susceptible to and unable to recover from other opportunistic diseases that lead to death through these secondary infections. The predominant mode of HIV transmission is through heterosexual contact, followed in magnitude by perinatal transmission, in which the mother passes the virus to the child during pregnancy, delivery or breastfeeding. Other modes of transmission are through infected blood and unsafe injections (DHS Uganda, 2006)

Food for Thought...

The HIV/AIDS epidemic has severely crippled the health care and economic systems in Sub-Saharan Africa. By the end of 2007 there were over 22.5 million HIV infected children and adults in this region.

As of 2006 in Sub-Saharan Africa, 28% of HIV+ people were receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART), whereas in 2003, this percentage was a mere 2%.

There is an estimate of 85,000 children (aged 0-14 years) receiving the antiretroviral therapy and roughly 680,000 children in need of it, which is only a 13% ART coverage for children in Sub-Saharan Africa.

A few years ago at Ambuya Day Care Centre (Zambia), where the majority of the children are HIV+ orphans and other vulnerable children, approximately forty HIV+ children were not on ART. It was estimated that two children died per month.

With the number of infected children increasing and the low number of children on antiretroviral therapy, concern for these children’s well being persists and demands serious public health commitment.

In Uganda: 25% of women and 20% of men (21 percent) age 15-49 have ever been tested for HIV and received their results. An additional 5% of women and 3% of men have ever been tested but never received their test results. 71% of women and 77% of men have never been tested at all, implying that they are very unlikely to know their HIV status.

Celebrating around the globe….

Dec 1, 2009 was celebrated around the globe. MIHV was apart of this day at the police grounds in Arua, Uganda- to prevent HIV transmission, to promote good health, to reduce stigma of HIV in communities, and to celebrate the lives of HIV+ persons who are beating the disease. Because HIV and malaria can often co-infect a person, as HIV suppresses one’s immune system, and the body cannot fight off the anopheles mosquito’s malaria parasite.

Events included a parade by multiple organizations (including faith-based, community-based, schools) and a school band performance. In addition, an adolescent female read a poem about HIV/AIDS and the effects it has. The district leaders were there, including the RDC (Resident District Commissioner). Organizations had tents around the police grounds, selling crafts made by HIV+ women, providing free tests, and handing out brochures. One tent had a blood donation center.

On our side, staff, including Richard, Monica, Atiku, David and myself (volunteers), sensitized the community on the importance of sleeping under a net, the need to bring a child to a health worker within 24 hours of fever onset, the environmental measures that can be taken to reduce mosquito breeding sites (cleaning up stagnant water), and the detrimental effects of getting malaria and not treating it properly. We were very successful, with people of all ages and all statuses, coming to our bright pink tent (which surely you could not miss) and engaging in our flip chart classes, taking our brochures (in 3 languages), and listening to our advice to go get an HIV test at a tent across the way, provided free of charge by the AIDS Information Center.

The group that I remember the most is four adolescent boys (well, they looked adolescent-age- come to find out they were 18-20years). The came up to me and asked me about HIV and malaria. When I asked if they had been tested, the all nodded "yes" and stated, “We are safe.” What a wonderful feeling. All four boys- HIV-negative. A few weeks later, two of the boys came into the MIHV office and wanted my colleagues and I to come speak to their youth group about malaria prevention and treatment. I was shocked! As a huge fan of youth empowerment and youth’s ability to be advocates for their own health, I was thrilled that these boys (or young adults!) sought out our office and requested our presence at one of their meetings. So for all those out there who think adolescents are just trouble-making, hormone-raging, stubborn brats, think again. YOUTH ARE FABULOUS. They are creative, proactive, and interested in living healthy lives. I was so proud that day to be a public health person interested in infant, child and adolescent health. Yippeeeee!

We left the grounds with no more brochures or posters (although someone stole a few off the tent’s back wall), with confidence that we had made a difference by creating HIV and malaria awareness, and with a new group of community members in Arua municipality who became aware of MIHV’s efforts. SUCCESS!

Questions To Ask Yourself...

How did you celebrate World AIDS Day?

How will you celebrate it next year?

What can you do to celebrate World AIDS Day year-round?

20 Good Things in Life By Yours Truly

Education for All

Power of People

Extended Family

Friends

Dancing, no matter your age

Simplistic Living

Nature- look at the horns!

The Love of Children

Good Ugandan Food

Fried Grasshoppers

Eating Grasshoppers

Big Monkey in Round-About

Beautiful Architecture

Outside Furniture Store- you can shop while in a traffic jam!

Unbelievable Talent... with Fire!

A Yummy, healthy salad

Good Cup of French-Press Coffee with Friends

The Birth of a Baby Goat

Job Creation: Women Empowerment

Man on Stilts

Rafting the Nile

This was in mid-November... I know I am a few months late… but later than never!
Imee, my classmate from SPH and dear friend, came to visit me in Uganda! My first visitor! She stayed for less than 48 hours, which was too short, but worth it! She and her colleague flew in to Entebbe from Dar es Salaam. As soon as we arrived in Kampala, I wanted to show them what Uganda's nightlife was like. We ventured into a busy food market on the street, where chicken legs and wings were roasting and Rolexes were being made. They are chipattis that have an omelet inside. This was our first time for a Rolex. SO YUMMY! We ate, we loved it, and then we moved to an outside/upstairs bar. We did not stay out late, as the next morning, we were heading to Jinga, where we would explore the Nile via white water rafting.





Rafting was unbelievable. It was exhilarating. But it was like a beast. A beast that could swallow you whole! And that it did! I have been rafting before- in Ecuador and in Zambia. And I have been grateful to those waters for never flipping me off the rafts. The Nile was not so nice. The river was wide, there were many stretches that were so calm, one could actually sleep. We jumped, swam, floated, and laughed in the Nile. But where the rapids were, we were in trouble. Some were Grade 5. For the first few, we made it. Didn’t flip. Stayed on board. Then one rapid, grade 5, got me. I was in the right-front, and after the first rapid, we flipped…. I was sucked under, and all I remembered under water that the instructor had warned us: if you do not know where the surface is, just hold on to your life-jacket. You will be under for a max of ten seconds. I felt like it was an eternity! I was thrashed around under water, pop back up, sailing down the Nile, sucked by more rapids, and finally saved by a kayaker. I was brought to another raft, out of breath, shaking in my swimsuit and lifejacket, and the guide of this boat asked me how the adventure was. To be honest, all that came to my mind and out of my mouth was “Holy shit balls!” A near death experience will do that to you. I found out the raft had not flipped; only I fell out! Jamie (in the front-left) ended up in my spot. They told me this rapid was the worst rapid to fall into, and I fell in at the most non-opportune spot. One man was kayaking and dislocated his shoulder. I am thankful I survived! But, I am not done. The story would not be complete until the last rapid was conquered…. Even though we all fell out this time. It was only Jamie, Imee, myself and the guide. The others decided not to attempt. So, I think we were already at a disadvantage with three others gone. We did not make it far at all. Jamie got caught under the raft while Imee and I flew down the river. I ended up backwards and I could see Imee coming towards me. I yelled, “Imeeeeeeeeee……” before I was hit by a tsunami of a wave. I wasn’t sucked under. I was in a gigantic wave pool and it was only seconds that I had to catch my breath before I was engulfed once again. Our bodies were sore from the wave force, our lungs struggling to catch its breath, and our minds wondered if the others made it too. Thankfully, our team was accounted for. We made it! I do love an adventure, but I am not sure I could handle the Nile again. The next on my list is bungee jumping in South America. Anyone want to go tandem?!


The Nile River... A devil of a river.

An Aruan Birthday Party- Nov 1, 2009

David, an international volunteer, was celebrating his 21^st birthday in Arua. Derek, the son of our African mother (Janet- who makes us amazing food and makes sure our clothes are clean), was celebrating his 6^th birthday. We had a joint birthday party at Janet’s home… and what a birthday party it was! We had a feast of Northern African food- posho, rice, chipatti, beef machomo, dodo, chicken, cabbage, beans, popcorn and g-nuts, fruits, homemade passion fruit juice (David’s favorite). The cake was adorable and David and Derek loved it! The candles were probably as big as Derek was! It was great. The cake was cut and Derek distributed the pieces to everyone. He carried a plate full of pieces and each person took one with their hands. After cake, the dancing began. Throughout the day, we met the relatives and neighbors of Janet. There were many neighborhood children (as young as 2 months), a few adults, and one elderly woman who could out dance any of us! We had so much fun. It was so nice to feel like members of this family and neighborhood. Everyone is Arua is so welcoming. I love Arua. Its my favorite place in Uganda, which is good because it is my home for the next nine months. The pictures below tell a better story... I hope you enjoy as much as we did!

Janet and I preparing for guests

Having a good time!

The children enjoying the cake

The 2-month old and myself

The fabulous feast!

The cake with extra large candles!

David and I and our favorite beers

The dancing kings

The birthday boys and their cake... just for them!