I have had some time to think and absorb what happened the first weeks of this year. And I have thought a lot about what I have missed since I arrived back in Uganda. I have been soooo unfocused and unmotivated, most especially this last month because of the holidays and then the unexpected drama. So I am trying to regain my focus and am going to do some work that I came here to do in the first place.
I spent Friday with a small, rural organization in Eastern Uganda (RARUDO) that is very similar to RACOBAO, the AIDS organization in the south that I worked with in the spring. I was the “guest of honor” and treated to many songs and dances by the women the organization helps; told about the work the organization does for the women, children, elderly and disabled in the community; shown two of the members’ farms and told how the organization has changed their lives; treated to delicious local food and really made part of their family for the day. It was beautiful and amazing to see their spirits, hear their stories and just be in their presence. And so wonderful to be back in the rural communities watching Ugandans help other Ugandans. I left them with a $130 donation (250,000 Ugandan Shillings) from the money we raised this summer at the fundraisers. It wasn’t my intention before going that I would do this, but after meeting the people in the organization and seeing how they are truly trying to help change the lives of community members in need in a sustainable way…well, I realized that the money we raised was meant for such projects and such people and it only seemed right. It wasn’t a large donation…but if the founder and executive director doesn’t have to put so much of his own money in this month (since 1996 he has put in about US $35,000), then it’s not too small either.
Spending the day with RARUDO got me so excited about heading back to Lyantonde to work with RACOBAO again. I had already made plans to go for 2-3 weeks in February before the holidays, but I am going to stay a bit longer than that. I want to be a part of that team and that family again; I want to be a bigger part of that work while I’m still here. I want to do what I loved and what made me want to come back in the first place. Of course I loved the river too, but coming back to the river has taken me away from RACOBAO. So hopefully I’ll have some better blogs to write soon enough!
In the meantime, a quick kayaking story: Last Tuesday, I finally had another chance to go on the river to practice rolling in the moving water and kayaking in general. I was so excited about spending the day on the water (it’s soooo peaceful) and attempting my first Grade 3. After the first 2 hours and a few Grade 2s, we took a break for lunch. When we got back in the water, I was meant to walk around 2 bigger rapids and then paddle down to the Grade 3 for practice. Unfortunately, I never made it. I was trying to get back into my kayak from the rocks, but they were very slippery and even with one of the local village boys holding the boat, I kept slipping. At one point, I felt as though I had just rubbed my foot the wrong way on the rock and stopped for a moment cringing with temporary pain. When I finally got into the kayak, I saw some blood in the boat…I had sliced my big toe pretty badly. It wouldn’t stop bleeding and I could even see some of the inside of my toe on the outside! I couldn’t believe it…NO NO NO! I wanted to continue on to the Grade 3, but knew that I really shouldn’t/couldn’t. Ugh. So, I made my way to the hospital in town and got the first 3 stitches of my life. Too bad the doctor (who had my friend assisting him instead of a nurse) didn’t numb my entire toe, so when he put the first stitch in at the bottom, where the cut was the worst, I felt every part of that stitch and cried out in pain. He said, “not to worry, that will be the worst one, I guess I just didn’t put enough of the medicine down there.” Oh…really! I thought he should've put a few more stitches in so that the wound could've healed a bit better, but at the time, I just wanted off his table! So, I’ve been limping around for the last 6 days trying not to get it infected and hoping that no jiggers find their way into the wound. In the process of trying to protect my toe and not step on the cut, I have upset the left side of my foot that I am walking on and in more pain from that than from the cut. Go figure! But hopefully I’ll get the stitches out on Wednesday and have a chance to enjoy the river before heading south for 5 weeks. The no swimming/no river thing is KILLING ME! Especially because it’s soooo hot and dry here…but hey, I’m not complaining (sorry everyone at home in the cold, wintry season) :).
In the meantime, a quick kayaking story: Last Tuesday, I finally had another chance to go on the river to practice rolling in the moving water and kayaking in general. I was so excited about spending the day on the water (it’s soooo peaceful) and attempting my first Grade 3. After the first 2 hours and a few Grade 2s, we took a break for lunch. When we got back in the water, I was meant to walk around 2 bigger rapids and then paddle down to the Grade 3 for practice. Unfortunately, I never made it. I was trying to get back into my kayak from the rocks, but they were very slippery and even with one of the local village boys holding the boat, I kept slipping. At one point, I felt as though I had just rubbed my foot the wrong way on the rock and stopped for a moment cringing with temporary pain. When I finally got into the kayak, I saw some blood in the boat…I had sliced my big toe pretty badly. It wouldn’t stop bleeding and I could even see some of the inside of my toe on the outside! I couldn’t believe it…NO NO NO! I wanted to continue on to the Grade 3, but knew that I really shouldn’t/couldn’t. Ugh. So, I made my way to the hospital in town and got the first 3 stitches of my life. Too bad the doctor (who had my friend assisting him instead of a nurse) didn’t numb my entire toe, so when he put the first stitch in at the bottom, where the cut was the worst, I felt every part of that stitch and cried out in pain. He said, “not to worry, that will be the worst one, I guess I just didn’t put enough of the medicine down there.” Oh…really! I thought he should've put a few more stitches in so that the wound could've healed a bit better, but at the time, I just wanted off his table! So, I’ve been limping around for the last 6 days trying not to get it infected and hoping that no jiggers find their way into the wound. In the process of trying to protect my toe and not step on the cut, I have upset the left side of my foot that I am walking on and in more pain from that than from the cut. Go figure! But hopefully I’ll get the stitches out on Wednesday and have a chance to enjoy the river before heading south for 5 weeks. The no swimming/no river thing is KILLING ME! Especially because it’s soooo hot and dry here…but hey, I’m not complaining (sorry everyone at home in the cold, wintry season) :).
PS...PITTSBURGH's GOING TO THE SUUUUPPPERR BOWL!
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