Email from Uganda Jan 21 04

Jan 21, 2004

Hi All,

Hope all is well with you as it is with us. We'll probably write this over several days as we need to find the time to do it. Hopefully you will receive it as the internet connection is mighty slow.

We have been here in Kampala for about a week and a half and we have lots of stuff to tell you about - some personal, some funny and anecdotal, some about work, (some of which is both happy and unhappy), so here goes. Please excuse the fragmented organization because we made notes on the run and they are not in any particular order. If you find this too long to read at one time, you can read it in segments or not at all, as you wish.

As you know, we started off living with the Camboni Sisters, a Catholic order of missionary nuns from Italy, but after 2 days, we left and found this very nice apartment. The Sisters were fine, but the room we had, as dark as a dungeon and as small as a medieval torture chamber. On the first morning, I (Peter shaved with toothpaste) mistaking it in the dim light for shaving cream), and the hot water was turned off by one of the sisters because she didn't know what the switch was for. So, we found this very nice 1 BR apartment in a very nice part of Kampala, (Kololo) where all of the embassies and embassy residences as well as UN and other NGO agencies are located. The rent is a bit more than with the sisters but we have our own bathroom, plenty of light, a kitchen, and beautiful garden, etc. It also comes with a maid who comes twice a week to clean and do laundry, including ironing everything in sight, all for $7 per week.

The day after we came to work for the first time was the last day that Father Joseph of Our Lady of Africa Catholic Church was going to be here. He is the man that founded Reach Out, and after only knowing him for a couple of days, we nearly cried along with everyone else when he left to return to Italy for back surgery. In that he is 69, folks don't think that he will return, but we all hope that he does. He has been replaced by Father Robert who is one tough cookie as compared to Father Joseph who is more angel than mortal.

Speaking of Reach Out, let us tell you something about it. First off, we are very impressed because 99% of everyone who works there and who works with the now 800 clients are volunteers. We don't mean an hour here or there, but 40 hours a week - hands down! And some are clients themselves who are HIV+ or have AIDS. One such person is Rose who is in charge of reception. We are working with her to redesign the patient record and registration system. Rose has A'IDS but you can't tell by looking at her. She looks as healthy as a horse as they say, but that is because she is now taking ARV's (anti retro viral). Before we met her, we guess several months ago she was in pretty bad shape. That is one example of how Reach Out and ARV's can help a person. Rose was married to a man and once in a while he felt sick. They had a child, and after several months, the child died. They then had a second child and it died after 2 years. When Rose began to feel ill, she had herself tested and she was HIV+, however, her husband refused to get tested and insisted he was ok. Rose told us that he was the only man she ever slept with. She told her husband that she could no longer sleep with him because she was positive and didn't want to infect him. They continued to live together but she would not sleep with him so he married another woman. He became so ill that he had to be hospitalized and 2 days before he died, he confessed to Rose that he knew all along that he had AIDS, even before he married her. That is what happens here, and elsewhere around the world, and one of the things that Reach Out is trying to do is to educate people about AIDS.

Jan 22, 2004

Here are some fun things, and then back to more serious stuff:

- “Slope down” = Downhill

- “Left it behind” = Passed it or missed the turn,

- “ An unfortunate situation” = uh oh, as in your mobile phone is broken.

Here are some of the things we are doing at Reach Out. In some cases we are working together, and in some cases, separately:

- Mentoring several of the volunteer people who work here with computers, grant writing, basic letter writing;

- Preparing to teach formal classes in Excel, Windows, Typing;

- We have set up Reach Out’s first ever email connection. FY!, reachout@utlonline.co.ug

- Developed Reach Out’s first job description form, and interviewing people one by one to do their job descriptions;

- Set up laptops we brought for use with email and other applications;

- Taught one of the people we are mentoring to design a basic data base for his program, and how to enter data. Next, how to manipulate the data.

- Reviewing their food donation program and helping improve it, including teaching some management skills that we are able to slip in. Includes follow up, assignments, etc.

- Putting all systems in place for registration, reception and record retention for the medical clinic. (We desperately need the front office staff from Richmond Clinic to put this place in shape)

The people that we work with here are very nice and obviously very dedicated. In addition to the Ugandan volunteers, there are quite a few “Mizungu” (non African) volunteers, many of who are the wives of people who work for the UN, diplomats, foreign NGO’s, and the like. Several of them are doctors. In general, Reach Out is quite varied with a clinical program, food program, a sewing/income generating program, community education, social support, and micro loans.. The philosophy is to help people in a holistic way, thus the social support, income generation, and food. We are very hopeful of getting a very large grant in the next few days from the USA – CDC Program, from the Bush Administration effort to combat AIDS in Africa and elsewhere. Call your congressman and tell them to vote the appropriation!! Just kidding, but you can if you want to and it certainly can help.

We like Ugandans. They are very polite and friendly, and we feel very comfortable here in Kampala. Have already learned a few words of Luganda, one of the languages spoken here, primarily in this part of the country.

As you know from looking at your world atlas, we are on the equator, and it is very hot because of the sun’s direct rays, thus everyone moves verrrrrrrrrry slowlllllllllllllllllll here. Even we are beginning to slow down. As for the rest of the weather, it is overcast often in the mornings, clears up in the late morning, and then often in the afternoons, it rains like hell! Really rains, so hard, that it is like a solid wall of water. Those of you who have been in a monsoon area know what we mean, but then it get nice again. Also, often at night, there is an electrical storm.

Next time we’ll tell you about the food, and also, how we are progressing in our work.

Love, peace, hugs, and kisses from Hinda and Peter