Village Healthcare Worker Training and Kampala Village

Hello Family and Friends,
Greetings from Uganda. I cannot believe this is my first correspondence since arriving nearly three weeks ago. There is so much to write about, but I will try to keep my story-telling to a minimum. It has been a fantastic trip and I will fill in all the details when I get back to America.

There are two particular experiences I would like to share. The first is our success of the Village Healthcare Worker training course that we provided over a ten-day period. Happily, everybody succeeded and we had our first graduating class of 2010.

Suzan, the nurse at the Farm, had identified seven women who have shown a strong interest in the medical field and whom she thought would be dedicated to attend the classes. She was right on in her choices. The ladies included Alice, Evelyn, Jennifer, Christine, Paula (from Kalongo), Pauline and Katie. They arrived every day ready to learn, notebooks and pens in hand, and minds open. Their enthusiasm made it fun for Brenda, Nadine and me to teach.

Our syllabus included teaching the Four Vital Signs, First Aid including choking, nosebleeds, and bleeding control, Malaria, Hygiene and Sanitation, Nutrition, Maternal/Childbirth, Body Mechanics and Personal Safety, Wound Care and Burns (Carol- we missed you!!!), Skin Rashes, Diarrhea and treatment with ORS and Pharmacology review. It was an ambitious agenda. Let’s just say we got through some of it, but surely not all of it. However, what we covered, they really understood for the final test on the last day.

The highlight for me was watching the women learn how to use the stethoscope. They quickly picked up the anatomic locations for the different heart sound, lung sounds and abdominal sounds. Finding the pulse at either the radial, brachial and carotid was successful by everyone. The blood pressure proved to be a bit more difficult, but by the end of the session, they each had their stethoscopes hanging around their necks like they had been professionals for years. They were so happy. And finally how can I forget Richard, our translator. These women all speak Acholi, with minimal English. Without Richard’s dedication and enthusiasm to learn the material, I don’t think the class would have been such a success. Thank you Richard!!!

The second highlight of the visit to the Farm was the return to the village of Kampala. While it shares the same name as Uganda’s capital city, there is no similarity. The village sits about a 45 minute walk from the Farm, and is home to some of the women who have participated in the Family Empowerment program. The village is very poor. The nearest water source is a hole in the ground that provides their drinking water. The children barely have clothes on their back and shoes on their feet.

Last year I visited this village and we installed four drip irrigation systems and planted gardens to help the women provide nutrition to their families in the dry season. Upon returning this year, it is very apparent that despite all the adverse conditions and struggles these women face, their dedication to providing for their families is amazing. Their gardens are doing very well. Some of the mamas had designed ingenious techniques to maximize their drip system to double the production of food. Some of the items they are growing include squash, sweet potatoes, cucumber, tomatoes, radishes, eggplant, cassava, and zucchini. (Thank You Vision Beyond Borders for the seeds!)

As we wandered from household to household the crowd grew. Every child and women and even some of the young men joined us as we visited the families. By the time we were to head back to the Farm, there were forty or more walking side by side. Alas we visited the final garden. It was the home of one of the elderly women, Jaja I called her. We gathered all the children who would be attending the Katamarwa School and took their photo. They will be receiving the Love-Pack’s this fall. It was so apparent how badly these children needed the supplies in those packs. A clean set of school clothes, some sturdy shoes, a blanket to ensure they stay warm in the wet season, and school supplies to help them with their studies and a mosquito net to prevent malaria and more... What a great treat for these children.

Finally, as we were getting ready to leave, Jaja presented us with a live chicken as an expression of her gratitude. It was an amazing act, as a chicken for these people is a very valuable item. As I held the chicken with the pink tie around its feet, we swiftly decided to name her ‘little bow pink’. She has found her new home in the chicken coop on the Farm, and will be part of a nutrition and chicken project for one of the boys. She will lay eggs that can be used to provide good nutrition for many people, or the eggs can be sold to help pay for their school. As we left, we all felt the love and care these folks have and vowed to continue to return to Kampala Village to visit and try to help them in the future.

Leigh