RN volunteer trip to Uganda

First world decadence

ameuganda — Tue, 1 Nov 2016 18:08:00 GMT

I arrived in Belgium yesterday. The first thing I noticed was my breath when I got off the plane. I definitely wasn’t in Africa anymore. I am going to miss the heat of Africa. I got myself to central station in Brussels where I threw my luggage in a locker and then began my self-guided walking tour of Brussels. I am just another face in the crowd here. No one gives eye contact and offers a hello. Everyone just bustles by on the street, even jostling you at some points because you are just an invisible number again. I have no small dark children running up to me yelling, “muzungo how are you”. Those children and the people of Uganda have spoiled me with love. They did not spoil me with coffee though, so this was my first priority. I made a beeling to a waffle shop just by the grand place and had my first real Belgium waffle with a coffee that sent tingles to my toes. I followed a walking guide from a guidebook by Rick Stevens. It was quick and informative. Everywhere I looked, there were clean, well-dressed people, no look of hunger in their eyes. There were of course a scattering of a few beggars and gypsies, but even they had better clothing than my Buziikan’s. There are no groups of small barefoot children racing through the streets trying to take whatever they can find, with jiggers planted in their feet. I do not hear the language of Luganda that I have become so accustomed to. It was difficult greeting some people because I would start out a greeting in Luganda out of habit, thankfully I know just a bit of French so I was able to quickly switch to that.

The statue of the little boy peeing was a site to see. He’s actually quiet small. The grand place had incredible architecture. This is Europe though; all their historic buildings architecture is breath taking. Brussels was an easy city to learn in a short few hours. I was able to navigate without a problem. I finished my tour ahead of schedule and just wanted to get to bed after my travel. So I grabbed some Belgian chocolates and a beer and boarded the train the Bruges. I arrived in the early evening and had to navigate from the station to the center of town. The crowds were massive here and reminded me yet again of my own insignificance. No one said excuse me, no one looked you in the eye, no one offered a smile, no little hand slipped in to mine. I saw people pushing their fat pet dogs in baby carriages and I wanted to scream. Dogs have 100 times better life here than the children in Buziika who are as young as 4, walking 6 miles, barefoot and in rags for clothing, to fetch water in large jugs that their strong able bodies will carry home. Some children will never no a fraction of the love that the pampered dogs are receiving. I saw children’s clothing stores displaying tiny fur coats to make the young one’s here look chic. I cannot believe that my life was one to be born into such decadence while my kids will always have to struggle. There are so many resources in this world. It makes no sense to me why some of us live in extravagance while others curl up on a hard clay floor and wait for the inevitable. I am definitely feeling an immense amount of guilt for enjoying first world comforts while there are children being fed alcohol just so they don’t feel their hunger and they can try to sleep.

I am by no means saying Africa has the only suffering people. There are homeless people throughout the world. In my hometown of Asheville I am constantly crossing paths with homeless veterans asking for money. The only difference is the density of those stricken by poverty. In the first world you have scatterings of street people. In Africa it seems as if you only have a scattering of people who can afford the necessities of life. I do not believe there should be hunger or homelessness anywhere. We have an over abundance in first world countries. We should be able to do something to help the desperate, instead of us clinging to our money like a life raft. We do not have to live like Mother Theresa and give up all our money and possessions, but we do have the responsibility to help where we are able.

You can’t take it with you when you go

Gypsy RN

Siri Kwelabira (I will never forget you)

ameuganda — Sun, 30 Oct 2016 02:57:00 GMT

The month of October has taught me so much and changed me in ways. I have learned to let go and let God. We cannot control everything in life and sometimes we just have to throw our hands up, paste a smile on our faces and just live in the present moment. I have learned to cherish every moment instead of always thinking about my next step in life and what my 5-year plan should be. Life is short and time flies by; work to live do not live to work. I have learned to let annoyances roll off my shoulder and to laugh it off, there is no point in wasting time or energy in a bad mood. I have learned that I can be a pleasant human being without coffee. I have found a strong desire to serve others, to bring comfort and hope to the desperate. No matter how few I am able to serve I can still make a difference for someone. Most importantly I have learned how to give a mother’s love even though I know it will hurt when I say goodbye.

Last night our church had an overnight worship event. There were about 100 parishioners’ there who would be singing and praying from 9pm till 5am. Very old Jaja’s and young children would be staying up throughout the night for this event; I was exhausted thinking about it. Before the event began Mary came up to my dorm to practice a song with me. (Mary is the 13 year-old I had comforted earlier in the month and the song was “you raise me up”.) I asked her if she would sing it tonight so that I could hear her, she told me that she planned to sing it on Sunday and was adamant that I sing it with her. This is when I reminded her that I was leaving early Sunday morning so I would not be able to sing it then. Her bright smile and dancing eyes faded in an instant. She stopped looking at me, stared off in the distance and then collapsed in my arms crying. Nothing I said could comfort her or make her talk to me. She cried for close to an hour saying nothing. My heart was devastated; I was at a loss, all I could do is hold her.

This moment brought the realization crashing down on me that I am leaving very soon. I was distraught and dreaded saying goodbye to all the other children who have stolen my heart. I snapped out of this and decided to cherish every second left. I made my rounds to the dorms to say goodnight to the children who would not be at the overnight. When I came to kiss Enoch goodnight I memorized the smell of the tip top cream he and the other children use. I wrapped as many of the toddlers in my arms as I could fit, and tried to memorize the feel of their loving hugs. I went to bed recounting everything about this blessed month under the sizzling African sun surrounded by love and hope.

It was work as normal today even though most of the adults had stayed up all night. Their ability to function made me feel like a fool for not being able to handle the time I worked night shift. I went with the boys to fill the truck with elephant grass. I treasured my time under a shady banana tree with Alan pointing to various things and teaching me more luganda. I laughed as I was handed unripe coffee beans and guava fruit so that I could eat them. (The children are always picking unripe fruits and eating them when we are on the farm or away from the center.) I am starting to acquire a taste for these sour young fruits. I sang and clapped as the boys later danced and sang for me while taking a break from their laborious work.

There is so much I will miss. I will miss little hands slipping into mine as we walk. I will miss the feel of small arms circling my waist in a joyous hug; the children’s desire to always be near. I will miss hearing the delighted shouts from my children as they call my name “auntie Amy”. I will miss all the endless questions and chatter. I will miss the delight in them every time I get a luganda word right. I will miss being fed unripe fruit. I will miss the sound of the drums beating and the children singing as the children have their Sunday school worship on Saturday nights. I will miss how joyous people can be with so little. I will miss the cow that has no hope of ever sounding normal. I will miss boda boda rides and arguing over prices. I will miss chipati and half cakes and fresh passion fruit juice. I will miss the heat from the sun as it bakes the red clay earth and brightens the greenery. I will miss all the friends I have been blessed with during this time. All these things that I will miss will always be carried in my heart as a prominent and beautiful memory. I have been so blessed to have been able to spend this month surrounded by love, laughter and hope.

Relish your memories

Gypsy RN

Bobbing for apples

ameuganda — Fri, 28 Oct 2016 06:02:00 GMT

My month in Uganda has been a buzz of constant movement and activities. Today I allowed myself some time to relax. I delivered food to only two more houses in the early morning. The first house was a woman and her aged mother. The woman was on the list to be treated by the medications bought so I began interviewing her about her ailments. She stopped me and instead brought us inside to look at her mother who was laying on the typical floor mat in the typical filth. The Jaja feebly sat up and blessed us for coming, her eyes lit up when her daughter showed her the food we had brought. We were soon told the Jaja was suffering from TB and had no way to get to Jinja every month to receive the necessary treatments. The box of medications we have does not include what the Jaja needed. I asked my interpreter how we could possibly set up reliable monthly transport for her and he just shook his head in defeat. Again the only thing I was able to do for her was to hold her hand and pray, and let her know that her daughter would receive medication that would hopefully heal her to some extent so she could work to earn the money needed for transport.

The issue with the major source of income in Buziika is that we have had a total lack of rain. This is extremely detrimental since farming is what many of the people here do for work. October is supposed to be the rainy season, so people plant their crops knowing the rain will be here to sustain them. This October crops were planted per norm but no rain has fallen; this means many of the crops are dying and there is little work to be found for field hands. The hopelessness of the crops also means that many people who depend on these crops for food are starving. The food we have delivered has only helped 51 of these hopeless families.

My second family I visited was the woman who had passed me on the road and insisted I accompany her to her house. She was overjoyed that I had remembered her. She reiterated how desperate they were this season because all the crops are dying. Her two grand daughters are both breast-feeding, which means food is of extreme importance for them in order to provide enough milk for their infants. I was able to provide them with a little comfort in the form of my green shopping bag. There was not much more I could do but yet again say a prayer with them.

After supper I was called to speak with a man who has been diagnosed with AIDs. He is suffering from a kidney infection at this time. Yesterday he had been one of the people I sent to the clinic to obtain free medication. At that time he was told he needed a kidney scan. I looked at this man, who was about 40, with total despair. He could not afford the kidney scan, even if he could he couldn’t afford all the medications he would need to prolong his life, he couldn’t even afford to buy food. My sack had been the first nutritious food he had received in weeks. What could I possibly do for this man who is facing a very near death? So I educated him about how to prevent the spread of AIDs. This is when I learned that his wife and taken the kids and ran away when she found out he had AIDs. He is completely alone with only the church here at Canaan as his support. I held his hand and prayed that God would take him home quickly and painlessly. I felt like I was bobbing for apples today, a nearly impossible task, at least for my poorly coordinated self.

Sometimes all you can do is pray

Gypsy RN

A light in the dark

ameuganda — Thu, 27 Oct 2016 06:37:00 GMT

Morning at Canaan is a perfect way to start your day out with a smile on your face and a hop in your step. As I cross the compound to our canteen everyone greets each other with smiles on their faces and the question how did you sleep? A sleepy eyed, king, walks by as he follows his mom to the clinic and mumbles okwagala nyo (I love you so much). No one avoids eye contact or allows a bad mood to shape their interactions with one another. I find myself actually smiling before I have had a cup of coffee. Proof that miracles do happen!

Today I finished passing out the food I had bought for the community. It is heart breaking to watch as an old Jaja (grandmother) kneels on the hard ground in front of you reaching out her hands repeating “God bless you”. My knees are raw and stained by the red clay from kneeling in front of those I go to visit. Most of the times when you walk to a person’s home they do not have seats to offer so will place a thin mat or bag on the dirt ground. The children are either quizzically staring at me due to my skin color or they are giggling and running up to me to touch my hand. No matter what their reaction to my presence is they all appear the same; tattered, stained clothing, bare feet, malnourished and neglected bodies. They did not make the choice to be born into such abject poverty; they had no choice in the life they now have to find a way to survive. I find it highly unfair that these children have to suffer so much. My heart also breaks for the caregivers or parents who want so badly to feed their children but are completely unable to do so.

One of the Jaja’s we visited could not move from her filthy mat on the floor due to an immobile leg. She had suffered from a broken bone that never healed properly. When we provided her and her grand daughter with the food she couldn’t stop thanking God; they had no plan to eat for the next while since they had no money and her grand daughter was too young to find work. There was nothing I could do to help her at the time. The medication I bought would not heal her leg; she needed imaging and surgery, procedures that are quiet expensive even in a government funded hospital. This was one of those cases where I felt completely useless and hopeless; enough food for two weeks would hardly make a huge impact is what crossed my mind. I had to push that thought away and just pray with her that we may find an answer. After lunch I trudged on to finish the donations and to find people that could be treated with the medication I had at the clinic. We stopped at one woman’s house and were told she was on the list of the sickest of the sick but my eyes zeroed in on her tiny infant with a running nose and watering eyes, I could hear the child’s labored breathing from 5 feet away. I told her that I had medication for the baby who clearly was quiet ill and to bring her to the clinic, the mother then mentioned her other daughter who was very sick. She took me into her one room shack where I saw a tiny body curled up on a heap of clothing, I knelt down to touch her and was taken back by the heat I felt coming off of this small child. Apparently the mother had tried to take her to a hospital earlier that day but was unable to pay for any treatment. I got the mother to grab her toddler and while I picked up the infant and marched them to the clinic. The box of medications the donations have bought were able to treat all three of these people. If those two babies had not received the medication that they did today they probably would not have been in their mother’s arms much longer. While I held the infant in my arms in the clinic I was filled with that hope that no matter what every little thing you do to those in need makes a difference in some way.

Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent

Gypsy RN

Fish and loaves of bread

ameuganda — Wed, 26 Oct 2016 07:15:00 GMT

I am on cloud 9 writing this post! I woke up this morning and checked my emails, I immediately started out with tears in my eyes and a lump in my throat as I saw the amount of support family and friends gave to our kids while I slept. I woke seeing a post from my youngest brother, Danny, that made my heart overflow with love and seeing donations on my gofundme that would provide more than enough food to feed our kids for a month! It costs 50 cents a day to provide everything one of our children need on a physical basis; this adds up to $900/month. That amount buys enough food, toothpaste, toilet paper, soap and other necessities for all 60 of our kids for a month!

Morgan, Josephine and I went to Jinja today to spend the money! It was hot, grimy and uncomfortable but my excitement canceled it all out. I spent 3,640,500 Ugandan shillings ($1,092) to buy a variety of foods that would feed our kids for a month! This means they will not only have posho and beans daily but other foods rich in nutrients that their growing bodies need. That money also bought enough dry supplies to keep our children clean for a month. We had enough cash left over to ensure that food was bought for the other kids enrolled in our school. Many of these children come from homes where they are lucky enough to afford the school fees but nothing else. This means they will sometimes have one meal a day; this meal does not occur at lunchtime. That is because their caregivers cannot afford to pay for lunch at school plus the school fees. Now those children will be able to eat lunch for at least a term, possibly the only meal they will get for a day. I still have 3,084,000 Ugandan shillings ($ 925) left to keep in the kitty to make sure the children all of the children are fed for almost another month plus a second term for our school kiddos.

Upon our return to the center we were able to present the kids with all of their food. They patiently sat on the ground in excitement watching it be unloaded from the truck. I have previously mentioned that our kids sometimes go to bed hungry. For the month of November they will have abundance! I couldn’t stop smiling the entire day as I thought about our children being provided for.

When I went to break the news about my donations this morning I learned that some of our kids have lost their sponsors. This means Canaan was praying for a miracle to be able to raise enough funds to feed our children for the next month. All of your donations were their answered prayers!

I am completely wiped out after the entire day being spent trekking all over Jinja buying the necessities for our kids. Coming home to their hugs and joy was the best thing for my weary body. I wish I could make my arms stretch so I could engulf them all at the same time. I treasure every kiss I got to deliver to their shaved heads, every tight squeeze and goodnight wishes. I cherished the time I got to spend helping them with their homework. I have only been here a short time but I pray I have given them a glimpse of a mother’s love.

Pastor William stated tonight that he would be praying for me to return here before next year. I hope with all my heart his prayers are answered. My children, Canaan, Buziika… Uganda is imbued in my heart and soul!

“Being considerate of others will take you further in life than a college degree” Marian Wright Edelman

Gypsy RN

My heart overflows

ameuganda — Tue, 25 Oct 2016 06:52:00 GMT

My morning in Buziika never starts with a gentle wake up, slowly rubbing the sleep from my eyes and begrudgingly dragging my arse out of bed; instead it begins with Muslim prayers over a loud speaker at 5am, competing with the cock crow and the mad cow, the noise of the streets coming alive at 6am and then the local radio station blaring over the towns intercom system (they play the happiest island style jingle to announce a death). I wake up with a jolt, filled with excitement to start my day, there is no sleep in my eyes and I gladly bounce out from under my mosquito net. I sleep less than 7 hours here every day yet I do not feel the exhaustion that I normally feel in the states; instead I feel like I have a purpose that keeps me energized all day.

I spent the day passing out food in two more of our local villages. These food distribution days involve an extreme amount of walking in the hot African sun. Walks filled with questions in my heart of how all this could be happening and how people are able to survive like this. I am not becoming immune to seeing the poverty as I walk through the streets. My heart aches for the children with swollen bellies and a hallow look in their eyes, some of their parents or caregivers close by with that same despondent look. Then my heart overflows as a mother kneels on the ground, reaching out excitedly to hug me and repeat over and over “God bless you”. To that one family our donations make a difference, to that one mother we have brought some hope. One drop in the ocean creates ripples; I’m hoping to provide multiple drops that will collide into a wave. When we come upon the sickest of the sick during these days we send them to the Canaan health clinic where I have placed a vast supply of medications to be used free of charge for the people I send in. Today a pregnant woman came in with a UTI, she was not on my list, on the ultra sound it showed the bacteria was beginning to affect the fetus, she could not afford the antibiotics, Morgan and Leah were able to provide her with free medication from my box so that she and her baby would be safe. I was overjoyed hearing this story. Later in the day, Morgan and Leah had a shock when a severely malnourished girl was brought in. Some neighbors had found her body and were kind enough to buy a boda boda ride to the clinic. Every bone in her body could be counted and she was shaking like a leaf. Her parents were nowhere to be found so she was sent to a bigger facility with the police. Morgan came to recount this story to me while I was happily seated on the seesaw cuddling Esther while the other children played around us.

I had not been happy at the start of my seesaw perching. At first I sat on the seesaw to sit next to Enoch. We were sitting shoulder to shoulder and he wouldn’t look me in the eye. I asked him how his day was and what he learned in school, he shrugged these questions off and responded with “you’re leaving on Sunday”. It was more of a statement than a question, my heart shattered at my feet and I fought back the lump in my throat. I responded with a simple “yes” at which he asks, “will you come back?” He is still refusing to look at me and has even turned his back to me at this point. I told him I was going to do everything in my power to make sure I was here again next year. His response was silence, I was lost, I had no idea how to comfort him, I couldn’t promise him I would be back no doubt about it since we never know what a year might bring. All I could do was hug him close and tell him okwagala nyo (I love you so much) over and over again until I got a slight grin and giggle. My heart breaks thinking about the pain these children have had to endure, the lack of a mother’s love, the abandonment, the false promises, the hungry bellies. I want to wrap them all in a mother’s love and allow them to feel that security for just once, yet here I am leaving them. I try every chance I get to shower the kids in affection; tonight my affection with Enoch was homework duty. He gladly brought me his work to be checked, while we sat on the cement ground outside his dorm, and listened intently and I corrected wrong answers with him by teaching him how to find the right answer. A few of the other children cuddled in close to listen to the exchange. I wish I knew how to tell these children they are forever in my heart.

I will start by a shopping spree tomorrow! I have gotten enough donations to buy enough food to feed our kids for a month plus making sure the children who cannot afford lunch at our school are provided for! Sponsors have been lost so food for our kids is being bought on a week-to-week basis of uncertainty. In the morning Josephine and I will go into Jinja so that I can withdraw the donations from my bank account and then buy food in bulk to be taken back with us in the afternoon. I hope this brings joy to their hearts.

God is LOVE

Gypsy RN

Photos: Murchison falls safari

ameuganda — Mon, 24 Oct 2016 06:14:00 GMT

Bring it on baboon

ameuganda — Mon, 24 Oct 2016 06:03:00 GMT

I have mastered my aim with the death trap toilets here; they make short-calls while camping look like child’s play. This weekend involved a girl’s safari trip in northern Uganda. This part of Uganda is definitely better funded through tourism as people are attracted to the national park and Murchison falls. The drive from home to Murchison took 6 hours, as there are no major highways. Half of the roads were beat up dirt roads and the others were two lane roads with drivers on kamikaze missions passing one another. It was early evening by the time we got to Packwach and located our hotel. At this point Basil let’s us know that he has to go and try to find someone to fix the vans battery. We had no idea there was something wrong with our only means of transportation; adventure 1 for the trip. Adventure 2 was upon waking up, we discovered the bridges into the national park that were only 5km away were completely flooded and impassable; so we had to rush in the early morning to speed down the road 40 minutes away for another entrance. The point of an early morning start was so we would have a chance to see lions at the watering hole. We made it into the park at which point the three of us stood with our heads out the sun roof like a couple of meerkats staring in awe at all the different varieties of antelope. There were giraffes on the horizon and wart hogs bouncing through the grass with their tails pointed straight up giving away their location. By the Nile River we came across a herd of elephants and hippos sleeping in the water. Adventure 3 was having an elephant charge at our van when he thought we were separating him from the herd. We continued on and finally came across three lionesses hidden in the brush. Absolutely breathe taking.

Next comes adventure 4, baboon vs. me. In order to get to Murchison falls we needed to take a ferry across the Nile. We all started to get our things organized and stretch our legs. Leah and Morgan ran for a short call leaving me alone by the trunk of the van sifting through our bag with curious baboons lurking around. I began to zone out and not pay attention to anything going on around me when I see a little black hand reach next to me to grab a pineapple cutting, I immediately yelp and jump causing the thing I thought for a split second was a little black child jump back as well. The little black child was actually a baboon, as we stared at each other for what seemed minutes I realized he was possibly going to try and steal items from my bag. At this point I reached quickly in to the trunk to zip up my bag, at the same time the baboon reached in to grab at my bag, this caused a knee jerk reaction from me… I smack the baboon on its head gaining myself a few extra seconds in the race. I got the bag zipped before the thief reached for the full packet of chocolate cookies on top of my bag, I again tried to fight a wild animal and grab the cookies back. Wild animal put me in my place with a threatening hiss and a quick reminder in my head that I do not have health insurance at this time. I gave up and let him take the goodies. He ran a few feet away and tour through the packaging, devouring every cookie inside while I finished in the trunk and slammed the door, glowering at the jerk for wining the fight. Every time I saw a baboon afterwards I looked at it with distrust and contempt. How dare that fool steal chocolate cookies!

After lunch we got on a boat for a river cruise up the Nile to the bottom of the falls. There was various wildlife along the way. This led to adventure 5, a hippo coming full speed ahead in the water and charging our boat, with a woman in the back almost bursting into tears from fear. There was no way the hippo could touch us but she was in complete panic non-the less. We made it to the falls without incident and hiked up to the top. I was in rapture watching this incredible site; two massive waterfalls converging… with a dead hippo caught in the current (really Mother Nature! Thanks for that!). Once you got used to the corpse and were able to block it out the absolute beauty of what we were seeing was able to be absorbed.

There was so much magnificence to see but nothing compared to our welcome home. I couldn’t wait to get back to Buziika after our weekend. As soon as the van pulled in to the center many of our children came careening at us, barley letting us out of the van, enveloping us in hugs letting us know we were missed. I was home, during the weekend I had started to get anxious with some teary eyed moments thinking about this being my last week here, once I got home all I felt was peace and joy. The girls were so happy to have us home that they took all our wash from us and powered through the dirt and grim with a fervor. We attempted to jump in and help but it was futile. These children are professionals at hand washing clothing, so we acquiesced and let them at it. I am now safely under my mosquito net, on my twin sized foam mattress bed, listening to the sounds of Buziika. The cow still sounds like a dying man, the street activity at night has become soothing with the crickets in the background. I actually look forward to hearing the masque announce it prayers at the un-godly hour of 5am tomorrow to start my day finishing my task of bring food to the hungry. I will also be bringing food to our children here at Canaan, through some generous donations we have ensured each child gets lunch for two terms (6 months) at school. I am beyond excited to get to Jijna on Tuesday to withdraw the money and present it to the administrators here.

“Life is not tried, it is merely survived, if you’re standing outside the fire”

Gypsy RN

Keep your head up

ameuganda — Fri, 21 Oct 2016 05:59:00 GMT

My mom used to tell me that when you tried to do good, evil would inevitably try and dissuade you. I have witnessed this before and at times it has worked. I have let fear and doubt stop me from doing the good deeds I dreamed of in the past. Today I experienced some doubt in what I have set out to do and felt like I would not be able to complete my goal. This morning was a completely unorganized mess. All the plans made the night before went flying out the window this morning. I had no one to go with Morgan and I to interpret, or direct us as we passed out food deep into the local villages. I was also dealing with trying to help the clinic plan on how to take care of the people who showed up at 7:30am to be treated with the medication bought. The clinic did not get around to treating these people until about 11am, after they had walked such long distances to be promptly there at 7:30am. I could feel my chest tightening with the fear that my project would go to waste because I have so little time to complete it and was hitting roadblocks today. I had to take a couple massive breaths then let go and let God. I let people know exactly what I needed to complete today and then I set out to prepare the 14 bags I planned on distributing while praying fervently that I would be successful in reaching the people I had bought food and medicine for.

We got it together around 11, a boda boda came and would stay with us while we emptied our massive sack. The cell leader came and we set off for our first village. Once there, that cell leader was no where to be found, so Morgan and I sat down on a bench a jaja brought for us and began feeling the same defeat we were feeling earlier. After waiting for almost an hour, the leader arrived and we set off with our ever-patient boda boda driver following us. We rushed through this village trying to keep the leader focused. The language barrier did not allow us to get all the information we had gotten when working with Pastor Isaac. We did not take time to pray with those who we visited. All in all the morning just was completely disheartening. I had to tell myself to keep my head up and remind myself what my mother used to tell me. It dawned on me that this was occurring today, whatever bad energy is out there was trying to disrupt the task God had put on my heart. Morgan and I put one foot in front of the other and forged on.

After lunch we set out immediately to our second village of the day. This time everything was organized and ran smoothly. We were able to spend some time with each of the people we visited and fed. One jaja housed 25 people and struggled to feed them all. Another man lived in a small room, the size of a janitor’s closet, in the back of a shop. His children had deserted him and he was left to pray and defend for himself in his old age. Another woman was struggling to keep food on the table while her husband healed from a bad vehicle accident. Our last jaja could barley walk yet she would drag herself on hands and knees to her cooking pit to provide food for her 4 grandchildren and husband. Everywhere you turned there were children with sores all over their bodies, and potbellies sticking out of torn, yellowed clothing. All the while I knew I would have a large meal cooked by Anna waiting for me back at Canaan, a shower and a bed in a clean room. I do not understand what I have done to deserve always being safe and comfortable in life while innocents have to drink alcohol for dinner so that they do not feel the hunger pain and can find sleep. I am only helping 51 people with only two weeks worth of food; there are so many others who need help. This thought did make me question at one time, “what is the point? How does helping this small handful change the world in any way?” These are not questions I am to know the answer to though. God wanted me to provide food to these people for whatever reason he saw fit. It is not my business to question God’s plans but rather to blindly follow and let him use me to complete the tasks he puts on my heart.

Always follow your heart

Gypsy RN

Clean sweat

ameuganda — Fri, 21 Oct 2016 00:49:00 GMT

I have sweated an inconceivable amount today; it is the rainy season yet so incredibly hot! (Thank God it poured last night so that the crops we have planted may survive to feed our children.) The shower I took last night was a complete waste; I had showered after returning from town only to go on an impromptu run, after this run I was feeling lazy and did not want to shower again so I asked, “so if I showered before I went on my run, do I have to shower again? I mean can’t we just go with I have clean sweat right now?” My thought process was voted off the island and I took a pointless extra shower. I got to take that extra shower and go to bed feeling clean, the people I visited today will never have that feeling as they sleep in filth and bathe periodically in dirty water from the side of the road.

Let’s back track, I had to finish my shopping in Jinja today as I can only withdraw 1,000,000 UGX every 24 hours. Today I paid off my debt for the food (1,494,000 UGX) and bought enough medicine (786,000 UGX) to cover the 51 people I would be bringing to our clinic. I had to take this journey alone with Papa Isaac since Morgan had to teach at school and Leah was craving some time in the clinic. This meant that after my business was complete I had to travel back to Buziika alone since Papa had to stay in town. I definitely felt like a champion as I bartered my boda boda price in Luganda and got a pretty great deal. I then hoped on how a real Africa woman in a skirt would… side saddle, while clutching my big bag that held the plastic bags I would be dividing the food in to. The boda boda has become so completely normal to use as my only form of motorized transportation, I believe I may feel claustrophobic in a car now. As we swerved down the rode to miss the massive potholes and other oncoming traffic I stared at the view and could not believe how this place has come to feel like home in such a short period of time and how it brings me joy daily. I almost fell off the boda boda when we passed the “ice cream truck” that plays Christmas jingles as it goes by. This is because I was on the verge of hysterics as I saw that it was actually a boda boda with an orange Gatorade cooler strapped to the back, and today it’s jingle was the Titanic theme song. I love these people and I love this place!

That ride to town was hot, the ride back to home was baking then sitting in the canteen dividing the food into separate bags with Josephine and Anna was sweltering. There was no hope of me NOT dripping in sweat while I tied knots on the bags that my two generous, loving friends filled. We worked quickly to fill as many as we could before Pastor Isaac came to collect the bags and me so we could start our trek. I had no time to shower before distributing my food and in my silly vanity I felt a mess for looking the way I did… I am disappointed in my vanity especially after being amongst the people I fed. We loaded up a boda boda with food for our first home cell, he would meet us at each house as Morgan, Pastor Isaac, the home cell leader (Sandy), and I would trek miles to.

How do I put into words what I saw and smelled this afternoon. The smell of rot and sometimes manure coming out of the doorway of each hut we visited. Children running around with no shoes and swollen feet. Ringworm making a young boys head appear ash gray. A woman who planned on splitting one hard-boiled egg between herself and 6 children for dinner tonight. We made a total of 8 stops in Butema A, 7 were so that we could provide food and 1 was to let a very sick man know that the funds we have raised would be covering his medication at our clinic. We provided each family with rice, posho, beans, salt, sugar and soap and told the head of the house that my fund raising would be able to cover only their medical expenses. My rationale for this is as follows, if we feed the sick who truly are trying to provide for their families but cannot due to a treatable illness we can help give them the strength to fight the infection plus we will provide them with medicine so they may heal and be able to get back to work to make the necessary money to feed their family. Most of the people were speechless when they received these gifts, they quietly let us know they did not plan on eating dinner tonight and we had answered a prayer they had no hope was actually heard. I was almost brought to tears on our last visit when the woman made such a fuss telling us that God see’s this and we deserve blessings beyond belief… I have already been blessed, I do not deserve more, I pray my “extra” blessings will go towards these people who have nothing. We also made sure each person had a way to get to our clinic the next day to receive the medication I had bought today; if they did not, I covered their transportation cost. I keep saying I when it is not actually me who did this, it is my family and friends who have donated so that I could buy what was needed. I am so blessed to have so many beautiful hearts in my life. I was so blessed to have Morgan along side me taking notes and helping me brainstorm further plans and ideas. Morgan’s main fundraising has gone to building the children at our school a shelter to eat in. No matter the differences in our tasks and fund raising here, the three of us are together in our love for this place and desire to do whatever we can to help them rise above.

We all need sheltering trees

Gypsy RN

A bartering experience

ameuganda — Wed, 19 Oct 2016 17:02:00 GMT

Yesterday morning was a whirlwind. Immediately after breakfast Papa Isaac announced we would go in to Jinja that day to buy the food I needed for the 51 people. After getting money for the transaction I prepared myself for the hectic market with everyone trying to sell you his or her goods. Instead we parked on the street then sat in the car, a man appeared and climbed into the passenger seat, I was then told to conduct my business. I was so humored, I have never been part of a drug deal but this felt exactly how I imagined one would be. After we exchanged the money the man got out and went his way and we drove away, with the three of us m’zungo’s in the backseat looking at each other in bewilderment of what just occurred. We then went to a different street to sit and wait for another man to appear and jump in the car so that Morgan could buy shoes for all the children. After contemplating the sketchy, humorous experience I was so appreciative that we did not have to deal with the market chaos and instead got a comical experience to laugh about. Afterwards we were let out to have a little exploration time.

Our plan was to get some lunch and then go see the source of the Nile. We were pleasantly surprised when we ran into a local whom we knew. To our luck he was a professional tour guide. He took it upon himself to give us a little help at the source of the Nile free of charge. He helped us barter our way in and gave us a little education as we explored. I am excited for Morgan and Leah since this gentleman, Godfrey, will help them on a safari to see the gorilla’s this November!

Upon our return to the center, I walked into the dinning area of Papa Isaac’s house where the huge delivery of the food I had bought was located. My heart was dancing with joy! There is so much food that will bring some comfort to the sickest of the sick and the poorest of the poor with some food left over for the children here at the orphanage. My flame that was lit and driving me to feed others exploded, so many ideas came crashing into my heart. My next task will be to provide funds to the Canaan school. This will go towards the children who cannot afford to pay for lunch; I will ensure the have lunch for however many terms I can afford. These children whose parents can only provide the school fees but cannot offer the lunch fees go hungry until dinnertime. Could you imagine being a child and having to stay focused on schoolwork while your stomach is grumbling with hunger? I have never had to experience that so I could not imagine how difficult that may be. There is hunger and poverty everywhere; my prayer is that I can reach a multitude of people. During my time in America I would like to help those children on our soil who are hungry, sick and neglected. There is so much work to do!

Whatever you give to those in need you get back ten fold

Gypsy RN

Let's do the math

ameuganda — Tue, 18 Oct 2016 04:39:00 GMT

It was a lazy Monday here amongst the green and red in the sweltering heat. This is the rainy season but we have had no rain, so we sat on the road looking at the crops praying they would survive and water would come for them soon. As we sat, practicing our Luganda a woman walked towards us. She reached out her hand for me to take and invited me to her home, Ezra had to translate for me. We followed her up the narrow red dirt paths with liter strewn here and there and were told the story of her plight. She had a husband who died, and was displaced by the husband’s relatives, who can easily take land away from the widowed woman. She had 13 children, of which only 8 remain, with 15 grandchildren. Two grand daughters and two great grandchildren live with here in a small one-room shack made out of clay. She can barley provide for those who depend on her. All she has is a small plot of land with a pig and goat tied to a stump and a few chickens roaming freely in and out of her shack. She showed me papers from the doctors reporting that she is suffering from appendicitis and pyelonephritis, she can do nothing about the pain caused by these ailments because money needs to be spent on food. A surgery would cost her 800,000 shillings, even in a government funded hospital; there is no hope for her to afford this, so we sat in her dirt patch, held hands and prayed to God. We thanked him for the roof over her head and prayed to be shown a way that we may help her. She thanked me for coming to see her and requested that I visit her in the future.

The next part of our day was a funny African experience. After going around the farm for a short time, I was sat down in the grass, overlooking the farm, with a view of the rolling green hills, under the shade of a massive mango tree. I was given a sugar cane and instructed to chew on it. Ezra and Josephine couldn’t stop laughing at my ineptitude at being able to do such a simple task. My jaw was not strong enough to bite the bark off and get to the sugary pulp inside. They had to help me get started and then continued to laugh at me as I made a mess of myself with the sticky juice spilling all over me. After I got the hang of it I sat and listened to the farmers and my two friends speak in the sing song language of Luganda while I reveled in how blessed my life has been.

I had gone to Jinja to do some shopping to buy some gifts for those I love, with the money I have been blessed enough to make. I found myself unable to spend the money. I could not understand why; since Christmas is coming and I “need” to buy gifts, instead I started getting angry that I was thinking about buying trinkets and became overwhelmed. Today I realized why I was having such a strong aversion to spending that money for those I love with all my heart back in the states; it’s because my heart wants the money I have for gifts to go to the needy. I can feed 51 people for 2 weeks on 1,405,000 Uganda shillings, which is about $420 USD. I can buy de-wormer for 10 children on $1 USD. I hope you all can understand that my extra spending cash will be spent on my village here in Buziika; I love you all so much and want to give you my love as my gift to you this holiday season.

We spend so much money on banquets and weddings, Christmas and birthday presents while children go to bed hungry every night. If a busload of Canaan center children were brought in to one of these lavish events they would stand with eyes wide and mouths agape, dirty and torn clothing, shoes falling apart, some even barefoot, in a trance. This trance would be broken and the children would descend, running into peoples laps, seeking hugs, asking “how are you?” grabbing for food and stuffing their empty bellies. Requesting that you take pictures and videos in slow motion so they may see themselves. Meanwhile we do not think about these children when we throw these lavish events that wind up with food thrown out, or we stuff ourselves sick at Thanksgiving and Christmas. I challenge you to donate money, to whomever you deem needs it, that you would otherwise spend on a crazy, exuberant party; or on birthday and Christmas gifts. I challenge you to show your loved ones you love them through simple gestures rather than expensive, grandiose gestures. Reach out to your neighbors and cook them a meal or offer any help you may be able to give them. Take your children to the soup kitchen and have them feed the destitute. Cherish every moment with your loved ones, forgive and move on. Solve a fight with a hug and be humble enough to say I’m sorry. Find any small way that you may be the change you wish to see in this world!

Spread your blessings and joy!

Gypsy RN

You raise me up

ameuganda — Mon, 17 Oct 2016 05:06:00 GMT

The spirit of God is in the hearts of all the children and workers here at Canaan. As we washed clothing yesterday we practiced singing the song “you raise me up” there was so much commotion with the younger children running by and seeking quick hugs, the noise and laughter from their play that I did not have a chance to really let the words of the song sink in. Today I got a second chance to hear and feel these words in my heart. During church I was raised up, watching how little boys would care for infants, to give mothers a break. One of our orphans, Joseph, who is 8, took a baby from its’ mother and provided the babe with its’ bottle. The only connection between Joseph and that trusting mother was that they were in the same village together, so the mentality is, you help everyone. The baby was soon passed to me, as Joseph had to go to Sunday school. Again the mother did not appear concerned in the least; she didn’t even give me a glance to make sure I was someone safe. There is such a beautiful trust here at this church and in this village. Everyone reaches out to raise each other up and help where they can. As I lay the sleeping infant on a different mother’s matt, that woman quickly soothed the infant back to sleep when it fused a little. We are all aunties and mothers and Jaja’s (grandmothers) to all of the children in this village.

The church was then raised up when Pastor Isaac announced that Morgan, Leah and I would be reaching out to the most desperate in the community. He requested cell leaders to remain for a meeting so they could create a list of the people here who are too sick or weak to leave their homes and come to our clinic for care. These will be the people the three of us will go to bringing food, supplies and provide whatever help we can. We were looked at as hero’s, but I still feel as if I am doing so little when I can be doing so much more to raise this community up.

The words of the song finally gave me goose bumps when Mary, Gideon and I sat in a quiet place and practiced the song. At this moment I realized I was being raised up to feel the love of God through these beautiful, grateful and hopeful people. They raise me up every day and they don’t even know they are affecting me so. I am raised up when the workers at Canaan tell me I am like an African woman. It makes me feel accepted by them. I am raised up when the children will not give me a moment’s peace and quiet because they just have to take as much attention from me as they can get. I am raised up when I walk through the village and can wave at the people I am starting to recognize and know by name. I am raised up when they laugh with glee because I am speaking Luganda. I am raised up because for some reason they think I am making a difference, when in actuality it is them who are making a change in me. I pray I can find a way to actually make a change here someday.

These children have not only raised me up. Their reach has touched America now as well. They have spoken with Morgan’s friends and families via skype and today they spoke with my friends. Even being thousands of miles away these children still made our loved ones at home feel a connection, feel that joy and love that I have been writing about. I pray that we may be more like the people here in Uganda and raise each other up; make each other feel loved on a daily basis!

Trust in God’s guidance for the path your life should take

Gypsy RN

I stand in awe

ameuganda — Sun, 16 Oct 2016 06:34:00 GMT

This morning started out as a whirlwind of motion and work. The younger kids have Saturday off from school, which meant cleaning day. Everywhere you looked there was a child sweeping, moping, picking up and staying busy with doing their chores here at Canaan center. I gasped in horror when I saw my little 7-8 year old boys up on one of the high water tanks. Their task apparently was to clean the inside of the tank. They worked diligently and thoroughly and by the grace of God did not fall and get hurt. They laughed at my worry and showed off by climbing metal poles to a tank that was two stories off the ground, and then commenced on cleaning that tank. After I got filthy helping with the chores I decided to do my laundry outside. This drew a gaggle of children, laughing as they stared in amazement at the m’zungo doing her wash by hand. Enoch, age 8, couldn’t handle my lack of skills for too long. He wound up nudging me aside and taking over, it was incredible how fast he washed and how clean my clothing came out. I was transfixed trying to learn from this little boy.

My next moment of awe for the day was watching Anna’s intoxicating joy as she danced around in the new sun hat I gave her. Anna is the woman who is teaching us to cook and makes sure we are fed. She is the auntie who stays in the oldest girls dorm, ages 12-14. She also works tirelessly at the farm, harvesting and planting crops. Since she spends so much time under the hot African sun on the farm I decided she needed a sun hat. She put it on and danced and sang like I had just given her some kind of crazy expensive, gorgeous article of clothing. I wondered when was the last time someone took care of her for a change or gave her a gift. I was humbled by her joy at receiving such a simple present.

In the late afternoon, Morgan and I took a walk around our village. We discussed ideas for how best to reach out to those who are desperate in this village and wondered about what approach would be the best. We kept passing people on the way that were carrying green plastic shopping bags. I had no idea where they were coming from, since they were not near any of the shops; nor why so many were carrying this green plastic bag I hadn’t seen in the town shops before. Before long we discovered the answer… Katie. There were hundreds of people inside Katie’s establishment all carrying that green bag and hundreds more walking away headed back home. We stopped and asked what was going on and were informed that this was food distribution day to all the families Katie’s NGO cares for. It was absolutely incredible! How does such a young woman have the ability to reach and help so many! Morgan and I became determined to meet her so that we could help spread her reach further. At our meeting with Pastor Isaac we brainstormed on what approach to take. He wants us to educate people on how to create incomes, which I believe is needed but not the most important. I want to go into the village to people who are too sick to leave home and provide them with food and medical care they desperately need. Hopefully tomorrow he will have a list prepared for us so that we can buy provisions and start our outreach to the village.

For tonight my influence is only at the Canaan center and our children. I sat with one little girl tonight and tried to comfort her as she cried. She would not tell me what was hurting her heart, all she wanted was to hold my hand a to be held. She is a 13 year old here who is THE hardest worker. She is always joyful and laughing, she is shy and mumbles her words. She is taller than all the boys and about a head taller than me. She has been at Canaan since she was 2 years old… she has never known a mother’s love. I sat with her in silence, with my arm around her back and my other hand holding hers. I ached to hear what was troubling her. That was not to be, Mary wanted the comfort of a mother but was too afraid to let down her guard and trust me with her tender heart. I was at a loss for how to provide comfort for this girl who always seems so tough and happy but who has never been given the chance of the happy, stable childhood filled with a supportive family. I hope that in the little time I have left I can help her trust a little more. I am in awe of how happy she is through all her hurt. Every child here amazes me with their ability to find joy and laughter.

Always keep your sense of wonder!

Gypsy RN

African Woman

ameuganda — Sat, 15 Oct 2016 05:14:00 GMT

Uganda has taught me so much in such a short amount of time and has healed me in some ways. I do not feel the need to be on guard here. The people I live with and the children are so loving and genuine that all I feel is peace. Back in the states I do struggle with being sad or angry a lot. Here I have felt nothing but joy, peace and love. God has blessed this country with so many people who have the most beautiful hearts; they are rich in kindness and love. As I sat amongst the sweet potato mounds with three of the aunties, after harvesting some veins to plant and create more potatoes, I was overwhelmed with the feeling that I was exactly where I belonged; where God has always wanted me to be. The aunties confirmed this feeling when they let me know they felt I was an African woman because I am not afraid to work hard. It was one of the best compliments I have gotten. I wish I could do so much more for them and this place. I spent the rest of my time in that field letting the natural beauty on Uganda take my breath away. I love the contrast of the red clay and bright green foliage. I love that my feet and ankles are always covered in red dust. I love watching villagers carrying water buckets on their heads from the well to their homes. I love the village children reaching out to grab my hand or hug me. I love the way I can have a relaxed conversation with the people here and not be interrupted by a cell phone constantly being in their hands while they read text messages. I love that time is on island time, no one moves fast, everyone takes their time and they are famous for always being late. It is as if the people here know how to cherish the moment, and do not wish to rush their lives. I have come to love washing my clothing in buckets by hand, it has become a time to relax and think about how grateful I am for such an incredible life. I am in love with Uganda.

I later helped one of the uncles’ here build a chicken coup, where again I was told I was like an African woman. How many times do you think I will need to hear that in order to be convinced to give up the luxuries of America and make a life here? There is a woman from Tennessee named Katie who did just that. At the age of 19 in 2007 she followed her heart and moved right here to Buziicka. She created a NGO that feeds around 3000 of the villagers and sends hundreds of children to school. She also adopted 14 little girls and has lived the most fulfilled life here helping those who have so much love to give but need so much help. She is a hero; I am humbled by her and pray that I can make some kind of difference the way she did. During the walk to and from the Canaan farm, I stare longingly at her compound and try to work up the courage to waltz in and meet her so that I may discover how she was able to accomplish such a daunting task. She had months to accomplish it though, I regrettably only have one month.

Earlier in the day while strolling through the villages with two of our little boys and Leah the realization of the little time I have left hit me hard. I have been here for two weeks, I honestly thought it had only been one; I only have two more weeks to go. I am not ready for this experience to be over, there is still so much I am dreaming about doing for this village and the Canaan Center. To start, Morgan, Leah and I are planning on buying as much medicine as we can and putting together some “food baskets”, then going into the village with Pastor Isaac to give to those who need these things the most. I would like to be able to sponsor some children so that they may attend school. I just do not know how I will be able to chose which child to bless with an education; they all deserve the chance of an education and a better life.

Cherish every moment

Gypsy RN

Photos: Rafting the Nile River

ameuganda — Fri, 14 Oct 2016 23:57:00 GMT

For F*@k sake! Stay in the boat!

ameuganda — Fri, 14 Oct 2016 06:09:00 GMT

When Moses was a baby he was placed in a basket and floated down the Nile River; Leah, Morgan and I decided to take a little walk in baby Moses’ shoes the past two days. Yesterday we made a trek on the dusty red dirt roads from Buziicka to Bujugali falls, just outside Jinja. Due to a new damn these must see falls were non-existent, instead we took a walk through the village; three little girls joined us, holding our hands on the walk. Of course none of them had shoes, and one of the little girls had a badly swollen foot; I tried to examine it for jiggers (a parasite) but saw no trace of them. I wish I had a mobile medical supplies box so that I could provide thorough examinations and some treatments whenever I go into these small villages.

The next part of our day involved a sunset riverboat cruise on the Nile River. The beauty is breath taking, the bright green foliage against the burnt red colored clay. That section of the Nile was completely flat and calm with people doing their wash on the shore, and children splashing in the cool water. There were no signs of crocodiles; there were however, some glimpses of monkeys swinging in the trees. This was our introduction to the Nile, in preparation for what was to come the next day.

Today, the three of us went white water rafting through class 4 and 5 rapids on the Nile River! It was utterly terrifying and exhilarating as the rapids rose higher than the boats and we were thrown about somehow managing to keep the boat right side up and all bodies inside… most of the time. At one point as the raft was threatening to give into the rapids and send us flying the guide yelled “for f*#k sake, stay in the boat!” This statement was followed with “S*#t! We lost the 2 Chinese!” Everyone turned out okay, many laughs were had by all and we spent time between rapids swimming in the Nile. It was an incredible experience to spend the day on the Nile River, but I couldn’t wait to return home to our kids.

As we dismounted our bodas at the center tonight we were met with the kids racing towards us with arms spread seeking their hugs. My heart over flowed with love for these children. Questions were thrown at us, asking where we were, arms circled around us tightly while the children proclaimed how much they missed us. We made our rounds, tucking everyone in and reminding them they are loved and we will never forget them. I don’t know how I am going to be able to leave this place at the end of the month. There is so much love and joy here.

I am worried about one of our boys, James, he is feeling very sick but has had negative tests for both malaria and typhoid so the doctor at our little clinic is unsure of what is making him present with the symptoms of malaria. He has been placed on some antibiotics. Please keep him in your prayers!

Life is a bowl of ice cream, dig in!

Gypsy RN

A concrete experience

ameuganda — Wed, 12 Oct 2016 05:18:00 GMT

I have mentioned before how the children at the Canaan school do not have a cafeteria to eat in. Instead they stand outside rain or shine and eat their posho or porridge. Here at the center the kids eat their meals in their dorm rooms; this will not be the case for much longer!!! We are building a cafeteria by the dorms; the structure and roof are up, so we began creating the cement floor today. Two of the uncles here and myself started this backbreaking work at 8am and did not finish until 5pm. I would have killed for some machines! Two of us had to mix cement and clay with shovels and then spread it out; we then made 24 trips with a wheelbarrow as we added rocks to the cement mixture. After that we had to fill 5-gallon jugs with water 60 times and add this to the mixture (we do not have hoses). Then Charles would mix all the ingredients and shovel it into a wheelbarrow. I would push the wheelbarrow to the building and dump it and James would even out the cement. We did this work to the sound of weaverbirds making their nests in the trees, (they are a chattery bunch) and the disheveled ice cream truck driving by playing Christmas jingles (so humorous). I was losing steam by the time the children came home from school, but was uplifted as Enoch and Ronald immediately jumped in and tried to help us. Their determination and work ethic helped get me through those last loads. These children never cease to amaze me or melt my heart. They are so blessed, they have uniforms and are able to attend school and come home to a safe environment. They lack a mother’s love but this village of Canaan is providing safety and stability for them. They find love and comfort in our arms.

Most of the village children do not have this safety or stability. Most of them cannot go to school because their parents cannot afford the $20 it costs for 1 term (a 3 month period). If the parents can scrape together their last coins to send their child to school the child may go for 1 term then skip the next and then go to the next. These children may not have writing utensils and may use scraps of newspaper as their note pads. It is crazy to me, that in America our children are being bought iPads to do school work on while kids in Africa have to scribble on old newspaper clippings with torn uniforms and holes in their shoes, if they are lucky enough to have shoes. I wish I could sponsor every child here so that they may go to school and have that chance of breaking this cycle of poverty.

As I kissed my children goodnight I prayed that each one would prosper and be able to help lead this country to a brighter future.

Children are our future!

Gypsy RN

https://www.gofundme.com/ameuganda

Like a man!

ameuganda — Tue, 11 Oct 2016 15:56:00 GMT

The three muzungo’s have been working at tearing down the stereotypes the Ugandan’s have about American’s cush lifestyles. As I mentioned before Papa Isaac thinks it is hilarious that we are like men, because we are strong and not afraid to work. Today Anna jumped on that bandwagon and announced that I was “like a man!” when I was working with the corn. The kids were at school today so I found some work to do with one of the Uncles, Ezra. The task was to remove the corn from the husk so that the kernels could be ground to make flour for posho. Posho is a cornmeal that the children eat at almost every meal. Therefore, this task is vital for our children here. To loosen the kernels from the ears of corn that have dried in the sun, we placed them in burlap bags and then beat them with large sticks; this is the part Anna saw me do. We than sat down and removed the kernels with our fingers for the rest of the morning and into the afternoon. I have two large blisters on both of my thumbs now. Ezra thought it was the biggest travesty that a muzungo had blisters from work. It took me awhile to convince him that I have had blisters before and survived just fine. (Blisters stink but I helped ensure our children have the food they need so I’m happy). They are so concerned with our well being here. Papa Isaac again chastised me for eating too little. He explained that he likes me to eat because he starved for two years during the war and has stomach ulcers now; therefore, he fears that if I don’t eat a lot I will get hungry from the work and wind up with ulcers. There are so many people who are hungry in this world. We take our large grocery stores for granted. How nice is it to walk into a grocery store and pick items off the shelf that you can later take home and through on a stove that you can start in a matter of seconds? If you’re really feeling lazy you can go through a drive-through. Here, I am learning to appreciate those luxuries. I have blisters from prepping vegetables so it can become vital nutrients. My back aches when bent over a small coal cooker that took about a half hour to start. The drive-through here is small street vendors who went through those same processes to have chipati or dumplings to sell. We grow the food we eat at this center; most of the villagers grow their own foodstuff as well. Some villagers are able to set up very small farm stands to sell their excess. Above all I am blessed because I have never known true hunger. I may have been broke, to the American standards, in college and had to eat cheap food but I still was able to eat. I was able to focus on my studies because food comes already prepped and ready to be cooked. I am so grateful for all we have in the states.

Every Monday there is a prayer meeting in the chapel. I was invited to this meeting today. It began with songs of worship, the type of black Baptist songs that have your heart thumbing, hands clapping and feet stomping to the rhythm. They then prayed for whatever was placed on their hearts including thanking God for Morgan, Leah and I. I don’t feel as if I deserve the amount of praise they give us.

Every little thing you do adds up!

Gypsy RN

A mother's love

ameuganda — Mon, 10 Oct 2016 16:54:00 GMT

There are those of us who have been blessed enough to experience a mother’s love. That feeling that there is always someone on your side, that no matter what you do wrong you’re still loved. Think about the times you have ran to your mother for comfort. Those moments when you were a child and you could fall asleep in your mother’s arms knowing you were safe and protected. I have been blessed to experience a mother’s love and to be taught how to provide this love to others (Thank you mom). There are children in this world who have not had this blessing; I am working with 62 of them here at Canaan Center. Today I got to share a mother’s love with one of them during church and the older girls later in the evening.

I thought I was going to write about how full of life church was today as I laid in bed being kept awake to the sounds of drums beating till 5am celebrating an engagement. Then at 5:30am the churches in the area began competing with who could pray loudest using their microphones, it was like dinner with an Italian family, everyone yelling over the others trying to be heard. I could only assume the children have had just as little sleep. Church lasted from 5:30-1:30, they claimed there were two services but it seemed it was just a never-ending worship of God session. I sat on a wooden bench under a tin roof supported by tree branches with two of our little girls, Ruth and Oliver on one side and Enoch on the other. Ruth was closet to me and after a time she laid her head in my lap, Oliver laid her head on Ruth’s hip and Enoch laid his head on my shoulder, each child grabbing my arms and trying to wrap them around themselves. Oliver and Enoch soon moved, too fidgety to sit still, when I looked down at Ruth I saw she was fast asleep. She slept like this for the next two hours, while my arse began to experience some serious pain that ultimately lead to it, and my legs falling asleep. I was so uncomfortable but I could not bear to move that little girl. Ruth, falling asleep in my lap told me she felt a mother’s love through me, that she felt safe and loved enough to take a nap on my lap. My heart was overflowing with joy and sadness from the knowledge that I was giving her the mother’s love she and all the other orphans crave.

Later in the evening I had to take on one of the biggest and most awkward moments of a mother’s life. As health care professionals the three of us went to the older girls who are ages 12-14 to give… dun dun dun “the talk”. These girls do not have mothers to tell them what to expect as they age and all that other uncomfortable jazz. All of us sat huddled together on the bare cement floor of their dorm; the girls placed towels down for the three of us to sit on. We made it through “the talk” and had some awesome feedback from the girls. It was clear they appreciated gaining the knowledge; Knowledge that is normally passed on because a mother loves her daughter. These girls have been robbed of that precious, awkward as hell talk with their mothers.

At night when I do my rounds saying goodnight in the dorms, the young girls and boys reach out from their bunks for hugs. When I enter the younger kids room they descend on me all fighting for my arms and goodnight kisses. They have begun lining up to receive a good night kiss from me, some even going back to the end of the line so they may get a second hug and kiss. We exchange the saying “I love you so much” in lunganda, which is “okwagala nnyo” to the children as often as possible, at night we make sure to say it to each individual as we hug them before they rest their heads.

The little bit these orphans know about a mother’s love is from the few aunties here who watch them and discipline them and now they are being showered in it from us muzingo’s.

A mother’s love is a blessing!

Gypsy RN