Nsobola Okukola

Nsobola Okukola.

I can work.

As we end the week of meeting with partners I am completely overwhelmed by the need I have seen. From newborn babies to adults everyone is in need of simple and significant help. I am having a hard time with the reality that I cannot save everyone in Uganda by myself, but I am noticing this will be a hard pill to swallow. HOWEVER, I CAN WORK.  I can work now and do little things and make an impact.

We have finished up our week of partner meetings by meeting with IUIU or Islamic University In Uganda where we discussed the need for community outreach for the health clinic they have started, teacher training in their primary school, and entrepreneurship workshops for their teachers. One thing that I have noticed as we have met with partners is nobody just does one things. If someone has a school- they usually also have a health clinic. If you have a clinic you have community health outreach programs. If you have health outreach programs you have entrepreneurship workshops. This happens because the need is so great here that trying one solution does not fix the community. For me this means that I will have more and more opportunity to use skills I have attained in working with youth and elderly people even the zoo has come in handy! I have learned that if you have any skill at all it is needed in Uganda. So come!!!

We are hoping to set up some basic teacher training workshops for the primary (elementary) school. Samantha, a volunteer, and I are hoping to start awareness for children with learning disabilities. There are no programs  or trainings to help teachers recognize learning disabilities. There is a Phenomenal movie that Jaeda my roommate showed me… Taare Zameen Par … which you can watch the whole thing on Youtube if you want to check it out. But that is a movie based on a child who suffers from dyslexia and is passed through teachers until one teacher notices the problems and takes action. The Indian education system is similar to Uganda and hopefully they will identify with it. We hope to encourage them to notice those on the outsides. We have yet to develop a complete project proposal but the education system is in such need of help. Without an education these children have little hope to have a life with basic needs met.

We also met with Dr. Jan White of Joy Hospice Clinic in Mbale town. It the only clinic in Mbale and surrounding districts (or counties back in the US) that offers palliative for elderly patients. There are no geriatric doctors or specialists outside of Kampala and that is a 4 hour taxi ride from here which no one can afford. She is a doctor that moved here from the UK and took over and 80% pay cut to open and run a clinic. She herself is almost 70 and just took a fall so is seeing patients while using two crutches. Her clinic also sees all other patients because she cannot turn anyone away so instead of just geriatrics they see everyone children, births, adults, AIDS care, you name it she does it. There are several on my team that are interested in medicine and have certifications that they will try and help alleviate some of her burden.

We also took the time to meet with Sam at FDNC, the Foundation for Development of Needy Communities. They also are a great organization. Sam has given many talks around the world about developing communities but he actually comes from Mbale. His organization mobilizes community health promoters, helps women start savings groups and small businesses, and helps with women empowerment. Again… what don’t they do?!?!?

My head is full of ideas and my heart is full of compassion. Now it’s time to put my feet to work.

Meanwhile If you have any project that intrigues you that you have ideas for send them my way! Also remember that I am fundraising throughout the summer for not only my expenses but also for individual projects if you want to donate to them specifically go the www.Help-International.Org just be sure to put the project or my name in the donate box!

Also if you want to follow posts from my team on Instagram look up #HelpUganda or #HelpIntl2014 to see what Help is doing worldwide this summer.

Love,

Your Muzungu.

ps thanks to my team for the pictures. I promise I will be better! There is so much to see that I forget to take a picture! Luckily they all remember! :) 

Muzungu! How are you? I am fine

Hello Muzungu Family,

                It has been a week since I left and it feels like I just got here and that I have been gone forever. I know that is an incredibly ironic statement to make but it is how I feel. I have grown accustomed to Boda-boda rides. A Boda-boda is a dirt bike/motorcycle (it is not quite either one of them) that we travel on the back of. Women ride side saddle behind the driver and the men ride saddle. Sometimes we ride two on a boda with the driver. BUT honestly I love riding them! It allows for a great breeze and sunshine. However, it also means that when it rains we are out of luck and have to walk. This has brought some muddy clothes and some very muddy legs and feet! The people still believe that malaria comes from the rain and so they do not go out in it. I am learning patience because of this belief.

                Mbale does not have a transportation system like we have in the US. Here we have taxis that are buses licensed to hold 14 but we had 23 today. They do not leave the city until the taxi is full and obviously full is a relative term here. Taxis run on specific routes but not specific times, bodas can go wherever as long as you can flag one down. Meanwhile everything runs on Ugandan time which means there is no time. They come when they come they eat when they can and they leave when the rain is gone. It makes our schedule hard to keep but I am learning. Jessie asked a Ugandan man when the next taxi would be and the response was, “In Uganda we do not have ‘when is the next one’ we have patience.” So hopefully I will learn some patience this summer! 

                We went to the branch on Sunday and it was wonderful. They people here have great faith in the savior and are al so well spoken. I felt inadequate to speak up too much because they all know so much! But really a friendlier people cannot exist outside this country. 

               We have continued to meet with partners and I am overwhelmed by the good people are doing in this country. The people who are helping here are not those with money and time, they are those who scrimp and save and give because it is what is right. This quality is missing from so many of our lives we feel we need to be in a better place before we can look outward to try and help another but instead we can learn from them that we must look outward now and everything will work out.

                On Monday we went to the Namatala slum and met with a couple previous partners. We met with an HIV/Aids testing center in the slum and then child of hope a school set up in the slum area. We took some time to walk around and greet the kids, and adopt a herd of them as we walked. As we walked the path there was a chorus of “Muzungu! Muzungu! Muzungu!” they would then run up to us and shake our hands and then follow us around. We hope to set up some community outreach programs in the slum to further the education against HIV/Aids and other basic health topics.

              

               

Yesterday we went to the district of Manafwa and the mountain village of Bunoboyoko where we met with one of our major partners at the Zions medical clinic.  They are the only health clinic in the surrounding areas and serve over 50 villages. I was humbled by the work they do all by volunteers. It was an interesting journey straight up the mountain on the back of a motorcycle on VERY tiny roads with deep puddles, flowing waters, and steep hills. It was an hour long taxi ride to the base of the mountain and an hour long boda ride up the mountain. They fed us a delicious lunch of Matoke or mashed and cooked green bananas with a beef broth and a side of steamed Kale it was DELICIOUS! We were made fun of for the way we ate with our hands but I will learn to eat like a proper Ugandan just you wait! We toured the facilities and saw work that Help- International has done in the past and then Jessie and I spent time jump roping with children and learning lugisu jumping songs. Then we taught them “you are my sunshine” and my heart melted to hear them sing with us. Then we went down the mountain after a torrential downpour and were covered in mud and slightly scared for my life but all is well that ends well and we all made it home safely.

                Today we met with CURE hospital one of the leading hospitals in the world that works specifically with Hydrocephalus and Spine abifida in children.  It was amazing to tour the facilities and see that they had created a better system for treating those with hydrocephalus than any other hospital. We also went to meet with Arlington school in Bududa district that is a school run by an NGO in Washington that is a model school for the village schools in the area. I have learned so much about their education system here and am grateful to all those that have tried to make an impact. I am also humbled by the pride students take in education when they are able to attain it. The system here is so different than we are used to. You must pay for school and uniforms and most kids to not continue after primary 7 or 7^th grade. But if you talk to a student they are so anxious to tell you what they are learning and to practice their English!

                I have loved every minute thus far of meeting with partners and discussing projects as a team. I am so humbled to be here and am hoping that I will be able to help these wonderful people in some small way.

Your Muzungu,

Katie

I have arrived!

 Dear United States Family,

I have arrived!

Well day one in Africa and I am already falling love.

But first things first… The plane ride(s)

My journey to Africa started off with a flight cancellation. Not a good way to start but it does mean that I was able to have a birthday lunch with my parents and grandpa before finally leaving.

Then on the plane I went. Instead of flying to Dallas I was rerouted to LA then on to London. My flight to London was long but nothing to exciting to report. I sat next to a cute old British couple who bickered and held hands the whole flight J. I did not get much sleep unfortunately but all in all it was  a good flight. Then I got to hang out in the London airport for 6 hours. I found myself an uncomfortable bench and slept for a few hours. Then I caught my flight to Kenya. I again was surrounded with British people that made the flight rather entertaining. Then in Kenya I had a short layover before getting on my flight to Uganda. Nothing too exciting happened on any of the flights. I didn’t sleep much on any of them but all in all I can’t complain about the 28 hours total on planes.

I went through customs; got my visa, a warm welcome to Uganda, and a blast of humidity I haven’t felt since Tennessee. Then out the doors I went to finally meet someone from my team! Todd and Jessie and Mike were there to pick me up. I was the second volunteer to arrive as others had had flight changes and delays. I will admit I was happy to finally see people I knew… or would soon know ;) We had to hang out in Entebbe for a while to wait for three other volunteers so we went to breakfast ( they ate I didn’t I had just eaten airplane breakfast and was not quite ready to eat again)  the drive was so beautiful and green. Then we went to the hostel they had stayed at and just hung about for a bit until we went to pick up the others. After that we hopped in our van and our hilarious and kind driver Stephen drove us all the way to Mbale. The ride was longer than usual but not too bad and we got back close to 9pm. Driving through Uganda was surreal. I have been planning and thinking about coming to Uganda for months now and to be here I am not sure it has fully set in! Here are a few pictures from the drive sorry there aren’t very many my phone had limited battery power to take pictures on the way.

Then we made it home to our beautiful purple house. I was so relieved to see a bed! J We all quickly showered (so cold but so refreshing) and went to bed and it was heavenly! This morning has been relaxing as we are waiting for Todd to come with the other volunteers that came later.We have already experienced the joys of power outings already! Apparently it goes off close to 8 times a day so who know what times I will be able to update while I am here but I am off to a pretty good start!  **** the power was out ALLLLLLLLL day so in this short time I will not post pics here but I will to facebook****

We are already set to meet with partners (those that Help has worked with in the past) this afternoon. I am grateful that we have had the morning to get situated and over the jet lag a bit before we jump in even if it is just for a few hours!

**Update**

We met with Saleh today in Mbale. Everyone is great and kind and wonderful but Saleh is the best. He owns a café/hostel in town and uses the funds to support the school that he is the principal at. He has worked with Help for a few years and has been instrumental in multiple projects. We are so excited to do some more evaluations of past projects and decide what we will be doing with his help.

We took our first Boda boda ride and it was a disaster in every sense of the word but the best experience. We all tried to stay together but two bodas took off, one stopped at the petrol station, we got separated. But we all found our way back… And I had my first Ugandan man propose to me. Yep, cant say that I was expecting that but all is well that ends well and I promise I will not marry the first Ugandan that proposes to me J Tomorrow we are off the orphanage and some more training.

Enjoy the few pictures on facebook I will post them here later too!

With love from Africa.

Its already an adventure!

Well its the big day. I am off to Uganda. Or at least I thought I was this morning. I got to the airport at 430 am and what do you know my flight was cancelled. No email. Not text. Nothing. (also nothing to the other 5 passengers trying to check in) Meanwhile American Airlines had already rerouted me to not leave until 3 this afternoon. That would have been nice to know I mean its not like I wake up and 315 for fun!

But I cant really complain (okay apparently I can because I just did) they were able to get me on my same connections in Kenya and Uganda it just means I will not be exploring London tomorrow but its okay I will explore it some other time! :)

This is really happening though and I couldn't be more excited! Slightly nervous, but most anxious to just get there already.

I cannot guarantee how often I will be able to update the blog as internet may be sketchy at times BUT I promise I will do all I can to update weekly! I love you all and appreciate your support more than I can express.

So until we meet again I leave updates in my life for your enjoyment!

Am I really qualified?

The trip is right around the corner.
Updates:
I registered my trip with the embassy in Kampala and forwarded flight information to the school. There is still so much to do but I will get it all done!

Have you ever wondered how to pack for a three month trip to africa? Well, I don't know that any of you have but it is SUPER difficult! I am a pretty low maintenance person in day to day life but it is hard to pack for three months in (hopefully) just a hiking backpack.


Things left to do:
~get a new license... not necessary for trip but I leave on my birthday and will therefore have an expired license when I get back... not cool.
~Actually pack ( i have mentally done it a few times... but like that actually helps)
~ collect a million things of bug spray. Mosquitos happen to love me and I don't need to add too much to the plethora of scars on my legs from BUGS in tennessee :)
~ oh about a million other things that are not interesting to anyone except me! :)

Again I am so grateful for the opportunity to go to Uganda and hopefully make a difference. My country directors made it to Mbale last week and have worked out housing and guards and all that jazz. I cannot wait to join them.

Here is a picture of the Namatala Slum where we will be helping work with clean water projects.

So why Me?Am I really qualified?

I was asked this week an interesting question that I thought I would answer for everyone.
"What makes you qualified to help offer solutions?" this was an honest question from a man I have great respect for and who has influenced me greatly but it did make me realize I don't know that I have ever made it clear that this is more than just a trip!

I had the opportunity to begin an undergraduate thesis last semester and was able to begin research both philanthropy and international aid. While I am in no way an expert, I have spent three months reading articles on what is successful and what is not in the scheme of offering aid internationally. However, with this limited research the best way to learn more is to put my feet on the ground.

This is not just an opportunity to serve this summer but will be instrumental in furthering my education and career goals. I hope to continue to work with non profit organizations and make a real difference in this world. There are so many in this world that do not have their basic needs met on a daily basis, and others that have more than they know what to do with in life. This disconnect fascinates me and I hope to make a difference in educating the haves and helping the have nots and hopefully take away the labels completely.

Anyways, I promise the updates will be more interesting when I am in Uganda! Just 8 Days! ( and 8 days until I turn 26- YIKES!)