August discoveries

So, after my parents and Kafero left Uganda, I had several weeks to eat mangoes, drink tea in the morning air and explore more volunteer opportunity possibilities for when I return to Uganda.

I travelled to Northern Uganda by a typical crowded bus with chickens, mattresses, bags of charcoal, cassava, lots of people, stopping a lot, potholed roads, waiting on the bus for 5 hours before it left, and finally arrived in the hub of the north, Gulu. The center of a lot of displacement camps and many agencies trying to address their needs. After wandering around the Northern town of Gulu, and taking several leads from the district Education officer, I found a special needs classroom, actually the only one, at the Gulu Prison Primary School and a few days meeting with the director, teacher and lovely students. What a joy to be around them !I also met with GUSCO, a national NGO, whose projects I had heard about for about a year now. They were originally the reception center for abducted child soldiers from the LRA. When they would escape, they would come here for about a month of rehabilitation and networking to reintegrate them into their homes, or if there was no existing family; setting up some sort of reintegration process and vocational skills/education setting to get them started. Because there have been no returnees for a while they currently are doing vocational training for formerly abducted children and for the child mothers. Also the new program, funded by the EU is working on the continued reintegration needed in the camps for returnees. When I return to Uganda, I plan to work with them on that project; currently in 8 sub-counties around Gulu.

Meanwhile, back in Kampala......yes, Nagawa makes her water debut...running at full speed....
I accompanied her on the school trip she attended to the zoo, now her second visit, but the biggest surprise was her taking to the water! She was quite terrified last time we were near the water; but second time around; she was thrilled! So great to see! She joined the other kids in the water and was just crazy about running and playing on the shores of Lake Victoria! This was actually my birthday, what a joyous way to spend a 27th birthday!
Nagawa on the left with her little school friends.

Her little friends.Nagawa and I making faces!
Her joyful giggles in the water.
Happy happy !Hospice Care in Uganda in limited ; but fortunately there are some services. This particular day I visited the Childrens Cancer Care. These little ones have cancer and are receiving chemotherapy along with others. The play therapy is set up to help them cope with the being in the hospital setting and a bit of normal child's play. I felt a special connection with these kids; and hope they have an opportunity for the same outcome as my cancer.

Flying from Uganda last week, I met Kafero in London and we travelled up to Nottingham to visit my sweet friend Anna. Wonderful moments and sharing; and strange for the 3 of us to be in England together; since most of our time together has been in East Africa; so a very different culture here!
Some luxuries though such as vegetarian restaurants....and spending whole days in Anna's garden....relaxing way to transition heading back to the US for some lovely family visits and more medical scans, tests and bloodwork. Fly out of London tomorrow, spend the day in Paris, and then back to Michigan.