The past few weeks have been kind of crazy. I’ve been working on preparing for multiple computer trainings with the FCBO staff (from both SACS and SEDAWOD) here in Sembabule. At a meeting a while ago, the staff told us that they were desperately lacking in computer skills, which made it difficult for them to do their work. Some of the staff members are very proficient, while others severely lack even basic skills. We had them give us a list of each staff member and their specific needs, and from that I compiled a basic computer skills training to do with each organization. The training included very basic skills (turning on a computer, using a flash drive, making an email address), file saving/file organization (saving a file, moving a file, renaming, etc), Microsoft Word, and Microsoft PowerPoint.
I held these trainings with each FCBO last week in preparation for this week’s Excel training. The FCBOs mainly use Excel to record data regarding their clients, and as I’ve mentioned before, it’s extremely important for them to keep their databases current and thorough. In my opinion, the Excel training probably should have been done a year ago, but nevertheless, I’m glad I was able to do it before I leave. It was a two-day training, and it went surprisingly well. The first day covered basic Excel skills, and the second day covered more advanced things like making charts, sorting/grouping, etc. On the first day I led the training using a projector hooked up to my computer, so I went through each topic and demonstrated each skill. Other WellShare staff sat with the FCBO staff to help them practice, and this worked really well. By the second day Suzanne had arrived in Sembabule from Mubende, so she led the training and I sat with the staff. The staff were all eager to learn and grateful to be taught. We also provided them with a hard copy and soft copy of the Excel training manual that we used, so they can use that in the future when they need to be reminded of how to do something. I was kind of nervous about the trainings because I’m no computer expert myself and I was unsure of how good of a teacher I’d be, but the whole experience was a good one. I actually learned a lot from the Excel training, as I hadn’t really used Excel that much since probably middle school or whenever I first learned how to use it.
Another fun thing that happened this week was that the power cord for my laptop was fried in a power surge. It’s actually amazing that this didn’t happen earlier, as it’s a common occurrence here when electricity is unstable – okay, I don’t actually understand how this works but I imagine it’s sort of like the electricity goes rogue and runs towards the outlet yelling a battle cry and my power cord can’t handle it so it melts and smells horrible like burning plastic and liquid oozes out of it. Because that’s what happened. If it had to happen, it’s good timing, because I’m going home soon and I can buy a new cord there. For now I’m just borrowing one of the office laptops when it’s not in use, which is no big deal. At the same time that that happened to my laptop, though, the operations officer’s computer monitor also blew out, so we are suspecting that there is a problem with either the generator (we were running on our generator when this happened), the inverter (we run the generator through the inverter to charge it), or the wiring in the office. The problem is that we don’t know which it is – mystery. Also, on Wednesday I just happened to walk into my room to find my power strip smoking and a hole melted in the side of it, so I kind of freaked. Luckily I caught it in time or it probably would have started a fire – it was sitting on the other bed in my room and the sheets underneath it have burn marks on them. Constant excitement!
Yesterday was a public holiday because of President Museveni’s swearing in, so the office was closed. Suzanne and I went to Beatrice’s house for a little while so she could measure us and design dresses for us with the fabric we brought to her (yay!). For the rest of the day I just read (I’m on to The Grapes of Wrath), did yoga, and watched Entourage. This weekend will be my LAST in Uganda! Wow. I am finally going to start packing, and sorting through what I’m going to leave here and what I’ll take with me. The biggest/heaviest things I have to bring home are all of my books, so we’ll see how that goes. Otherwise, I plan on leaving behind as much as possible – much of it will be more appreciated here than it would be at home, anyway (such as clothes, shoes, soap, batteries, rope, etc). Next Monday and Tuesday we have a regional meeting here in Sembabule, so I’ll get to see all the Mubende staff one last time. I believe I’m heading to Kampala on Thursday. My flight leaves next Saturday night. I left the US for Uganda eight months ago today! I’ll try to write another entry before I leave!
Friday, May 13, 2011
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Hoppy Easter!
We had Good Friday and Easter Monday off of work, so I was in Kampala from Thursday night through Monday morning. Recently there have been “walk-to-work” protests in Kampala, in which the opposition party is protesting the rising food and fuel prices by boycotting transportation and instead walking to work. A few people have been killed by the police, who have been using tear gas and guns in an attempt to control the crowds. There was some concern about whether or not we’d run into a protest, but I didn’t see any signs of unrest all weekend, besides there maybe being more police around then usual. There were also reports that the government requested for facebook and Twitter to be blocked in order to squash the protests, but luckily for my sanity both websites are still up and running.
On Thursday night I met Suzanne (who was coming from Mubende) at our hotel, Hotel City Square, which is very centrally located in Kampala. I had never stayed there before (the hotel I usually stay at was full), and it was pretty nice – self-contained room, free breakfast, TV in our room, and clean. However, our room looked out onto Kampala Road, so the traffic noise was VERY loud ALL day and night. Thankfully I bring earplugs with me when I travel.
As per usual, we basically spent all weekend shopping, walking, and eating. On Friday we went to Garden City mall, where we did some shopping at a gift store and the book store, and then I got a much-needed pedicure at Sparkles salon. We ate lunch at the food court at the mall (I had Indian food), where we met up with one of Suzanne’s former co-workers from home and some other Americans. Later in the afternoon we went back to our hotel to rest, and then at night went to a movie, “Just Go With It,” which wasn’t very good, but the selection of movies showing at the cinema is limited and sometimes it’s nice to go to a movie even if it doesn’t end up being Oscar-worthy. After the movie we went to New York Kitchen for pizza.
On Saturday, we went to the craft market on Buganda Road where I did some shopping for souvenirs and gifts. Afterwards we went across the street to 1000 Cups of Coffee to have an iced latte and chill out for a bit. Later in the day we went to Café Pap for lunch (fajitas), went back to the hotel to crash for a while, and then back to New York Kitchen for dinner (I had a WONDERFUL chocolate malt… not as good as Culver’s, but it did the job).
By Sunday we were pretty exhausted – it may sound pathetic, but it gets really tiring to walk all over the hot city all weekend long! So we took it easy – I went back to the craft market briefly (though most of the stalls were closed since it was Easter), and then to Café Pap where I met Suzanne for lunch. Later on we went to the grocery store to stock up on things to bring back with us (cereal, crackers, apples, instant coffee, peanuts, etc). At night, we met one of our co-workers and a few of his friends at a bar in Bugolobi, a neighborhood of Kampala. We had a really good time, though I am very out of practice as far as going out is concerned, and getting back to our hotel at 3:30 am seemed ridiculously late to me. One of the bars we went to played Weezy’s “Green and Yellow” (Packer tribute song), and though I’m sure whoever chose to play the song didn’t know about the Packers, it still made me smile. Throughout the night we talked a lot about Ugandan culture, particularly about marriage and babies. The men we were with decided that marrying an American woman is a stellar bargain – we don’t require a dowry, AND the man gets to become a US citizen, easy-peasy! JACKPOT!
On Monday morning I traveled back to Sembabule. I was able to get a matatu that went directly to Sembabule (usually I have to change vehicles in Masaka, about one hour away from Sembabule), but we had to have a tire changed AND ran out of gas, so it was an exasperatingly long trip. When I finally got back to the office, I threw my stuff on the ground, poured myself a bowl of cereal, and watched an absurd number of Glee episodes. All’s well that ends well. Overall, it was a good Easter weekend. It wasn't as wine-y as our Easter wine tour in Stellenbosch, South Africa (two years ago) or as chocolate-y as our Easter egg hunts at my Grandma's house (every other year of my life), but it was hoppy nonetheless.
On Thursday night I met Suzanne (who was coming from Mubende) at our hotel, Hotel City Square, which is very centrally located in Kampala. I had never stayed there before (the hotel I usually stay at was full), and it was pretty nice – self-contained room, free breakfast, TV in our room, and clean. However, our room looked out onto Kampala Road, so the traffic noise was VERY loud ALL day and night. Thankfully I bring earplugs with me when I travel.
As per usual, we basically spent all weekend shopping, walking, and eating. On Friday we went to Garden City mall, where we did some shopping at a gift store and the book store, and then I got a much-needed pedicure at Sparkles salon. We ate lunch at the food court at the mall (I had Indian food), where we met up with one of Suzanne’s former co-workers from home and some other Americans. Later in the afternoon we went back to our hotel to rest, and then at night went to a movie, “Just Go With It,” which wasn’t very good, but the selection of movies showing at the cinema is limited and sometimes it’s nice to go to a movie even if it doesn’t end up being Oscar-worthy. After the movie we went to New York Kitchen for pizza.
On Saturday, we went to the craft market on Buganda Road where I did some shopping for souvenirs and gifts. Afterwards we went across the street to 1000 Cups of Coffee to have an iced latte and chill out for a bit. Later in the day we went to Café Pap for lunch (fajitas), went back to the hotel to crash for a while, and then back to New York Kitchen for dinner (I had a WONDERFUL chocolate malt… not as good as Culver’s, but it did the job).
By Sunday we were pretty exhausted – it may sound pathetic, but it gets really tiring to walk all over the hot city all weekend long! So we took it easy – I went back to the craft market briefly (though most of the stalls were closed since it was Easter), and then to Café Pap where I met Suzanne for lunch. Later on we went to the grocery store to stock up on things to bring back with us (cereal, crackers, apples, instant coffee, peanuts, etc). At night, we met one of our co-workers and a few of his friends at a bar in Bugolobi, a neighborhood of Kampala. We had a really good time, though I am very out of practice as far as going out is concerned, and getting back to our hotel at 3:30 am seemed ridiculously late to me. One of the bars we went to played Weezy’s “Green and Yellow” (Packer tribute song), and though I’m sure whoever chose to play the song didn’t know about the Packers, it still made me smile. Throughout the night we talked a lot about Ugandan culture, particularly about marriage and babies. The men we were with decided that marrying an American woman is a stellar bargain – we don’t require a dowry, AND the man gets to become a US citizen, easy-peasy! JACKPOT!
On Monday morning I traveled back to Sembabule. I was able to get a matatu that went directly to Sembabule (usually I have to change vehicles in Masaka, about one hour away from Sembabule), but we had to have a tire changed AND ran out of gas, so it was an exasperatingly long trip. When I finally got back to the office, I threw my stuff on the ground, poured myself a bowl of cereal, and watched an absurd number of Glee episodes. All’s well that ends well. Overall, it was a good Easter weekend. It wasn't as wine-y as our Easter wine tour in Stellenbosch, South Africa (two years ago) or as chocolate-y as our Easter egg hunts at my Grandma's house (every other year of my life), but it was hoppy nonetheless.
Monday, April 11, 2011
First post of April
I’ve been finding it difficult to write blog posts, I think because I’ve become so accustomed to life here that nothing seems interesting enough to write about. That’s not to say that things are boring; rather, life here (for the most part) feels very routine and normal, and I can’t imagine that anybody would want to read about it. That said, I’ll try to update you on what’s been happening here lately.
Last Friday, MEEP data was due. My understanding is that twice a year, all USAID-funded programs are required to report MEEP data, which basically is a report of the number of clients given care through our program. So we have to report on how many clients receive clinical services, nutritional care, HIV medications, psychosocial support, etc. Since all of our community caregivers (CCGs) have forms that they are supposed to be filling out thoroughly and regularly, in theory, reporting these numbers should be quick and easy. However, the reality is much different, as only some of the forms are actually filled out, and even if they are filled out, the faith/community-based organizations (FCBOs) that the CCGs report to often have not entered the hard copies of the forms into the databases on their computers. Many of the FCBOs are working very hard and have entered most of the forms, but others have fallen behind. For this reason, we decided that the easiest way to collect the MEEP data this time was to bypass all of the forms we’ve created and instead, go straight to the CCGs in the communities. We printed out templates for each CCG, and delegated the responsibility to the FCBOs to go and meet with their CCGs and collect the data directly from the source. For example, a member of the FCBO would meet a CCG and ask them, “How many people living with HIV/AIDS do you serve? How many of them have received at least one clinical service? How many of them have you given nutritional support to?” These numbers then have to be broken down by sex and age. This method worked out fairly well, and we got the information back from the FCBOs promptly. I then entered all of the data into the MEEP template and sent it off to our program manager on Friday. This whole process has been a huge learning experience, and once again reinforces how important it is to monitor a program. Sitting in front of a computer all day is not exactly my favorite thing, but I realize how important it is to get this information entered and up to date. I’m also still helping one of our FCBOs, SACS (Sembabule Aids Counseling Services) to enter their forms in order to bring their database up to date… it’s a long process, but it will be very satisfying once all the forms are entered. I’ve entered about 400 forms so far, which is probably about half the number that needs to be entered in total.
This week the program manager is coming to Sembabule to observe our on-the-ground support supervision, as well as the quarterly review meeting with our FCBOs tomorrow. At that meeting, I’ll be answering questions and giving support to the FCBOs regarding (you guessed it) their data collection process.
What else… last week, for reasons unknown to everyone I ask, we had a water shortage, so I couldn’t wash my hair for five days, which I think is a personal record. Bringing dry shampoo with me was a good choice (thanks, salesgirl at Ulta!). It’s been raining almost every day here, and the temperatures fluctuate but overall it’s been comfortable and not too hot. There seems to be a giant moth convention in town that I was unaware of, because there are moths (some small, some with a five inch wingspan… yikes) everywhere. They like to hang out in my room and dive-bomb my face when I’m outside at night, which is pleasant and not at all creepy.
As per usual, I had a nice, quiet weekend here in Sembabule. Since we had water, I did a ton of laundry that had been piling up, which always makes me feel like I’ve accomplished something. I watched a few movies (Stepmom, Notting Hill… it was a Julia Roberts weekend) and I’m currently reading “Sepulchre” by Kate Mosse. If anybody can tell me how to properly pronounce the title of that book, I’ll bring you back a present. I ate 2/3 of a pineapple yesterday, so that’s always fun. My plans for today include finishing the last third of it. It’s good to have goals.
Last Friday, MEEP data was due. My understanding is that twice a year, all USAID-funded programs are required to report MEEP data, which basically is a report of the number of clients given care through our program. So we have to report on how many clients receive clinical services, nutritional care, HIV medications, psychosocial support, etc. Since all of our community caregivers (CCGs) have forms that they are supposed to be filling out thoroughly and regularly, in theory, reporting these numbers should be quick and easy. However, the reality is much different, as only some of the forms are actually filled out, and even if they are filled out, the faith/community-based organizations (FCBOs) that the CCGs report to often have not entered the hard copies of the forms into the databases on their computers. Many of the FCBOs are working very hard and have entered most of the forms, but others have fallen behind. For this reason, we decided that the easiest way to collect the MEEP data this time was to bypass all of the forms we’ve created and instead, go straight to the CCGs in the communities. We printed out templates for each CCG, and delegated the responsibility to the FCBOs to go and meet with their CCGs and collect the data directly from the source. For example, a member of the FCBO would meet a CCG and ask them, “How many people living with HIV/AIDS do you serve? How many of them have received at least one clinical service? How many of them have you given nutritional support to?” These numbers then have to be broken down by sex and age. This method worked out fairly well, and we got the information back from the FCBOs promptly. I then entered all of the data into the MEEP template and sent it off to our program manager on Friday. This whole process has been a huge learning experience, and once again reinforces how important it is to monitor a program. Sitting in front of a computer all day is not exactly my favorite thing, but I realize how important it is to get this information entered and up to date. I’m also still helping one of our FCBOs, SACS (Sembabule Aids Counseling Services) to enter their forms in order to bring their database up to date… it’s a long process, but it will be very satisfying once all the forms are entered. I’ve entered about 400 forms so far, which is probably about half the number that needs to be entered in total.
This week the program manager is coming to Sembabule to observe our on-the-ground support supervision, as well as the quarterly review meeting with our FCBOs tomorrow. At that meeting, I’ll be answering questions and giving support to the FCBOs regarding (you guessed it) their data collection process.
What else… last week, for reasons unknown to everyone I ask, we had a water shortage, so I couldn’t wash my hair for five days, which I think is a personal record. Bringing dry shampoo with me was a good choice (thanks, salesgirl at Ulta!). It’s been raining almost every day here, and the temperatures fluctuate but overall it’s been comfortable and not too hot. There seems to be a giant moth convention in town that I was unaware of, because there are moths (some small, some with a five inch wingspan… yikes) everywhere. They like to hang out in my room and dive-bomb my face when I’m outside at night, which is pleasant and not at all creepy.
As per usual, I had a nice, quiet weekend here in Sembabule. Since we had water, I did a ton of laundry that had been piling up, which always makes me feel like I’ve accomplished something. I watched a few movies (Stepmom, Notting Hill… it was a Julia Roberts weekend) and I’m currently reading “Sepulchre” by Kate Mosse. If anybody can tell me how to properly pronounce the title of that book, I’ll bring you back a present. I ate 2/3 of a pineapple yesterday, so that’s always fun. My plans for today include finishing the last third of it. It’s good to have goals.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
End-of-March Update
Work has been pretty busy during the past two weeks. We’re starting a supplementary feeding program, which is only a very small part of the ongoing home-based care program for people living with HIV/AIDS and orphans and vulnerable children. We need to identify, refer, and follow-up with children aged 0-2 who are moderately or severely malnourished. In order to do this, we have to train the community caregivers (CCGs) on how to look for signs of malnutrition by identifying edema (swelling) in the feet and other parts of the body, measuring mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC), and looking at other physical signs. Last week we trained the first group of CCGs here in Sembabule, and I think it went fairly well. Only health centers are allowed to actually treat malnutrition, through in-patient and out-patient care and by distributing ready-to-use therapeutic food, a peanut-based paste-like food that comes in a packet. So while our CCGs can’t actually treat malnutrition, they can identify people who need to go to health centers, follow-up with them after they return from the health center, and provide nutrition education and support. We still have to train the CCGs from other faith/community-based organizations (FCBOs) that we work with, so this process will be on-going for the next couple of months.
In a couple of weeks we have to submit a report to USAID about the number of clients we’ve served over the past six months. In order to do that, we need to have complete data from our F/CBOs with information about services provided to the clients in the communities. Ideally, the CCGs would be filling out their forms and submitting them back to the F/CBOs on a regular basis, but unfortunately this is far from what actually happens. Even when some of the forms do make it back to the F/CBO offices, they’re not always entered into their databases by the F/CBO staff on a timely basis. They do their best, but for several reasons, their databases are not up-to-date. So, we’ve been playing catch-up with the F/CBO data and helping them enter what forms they do have, and also stressing that they desperately need to get all completed forms back from the communities. This isn’t the most glamorous aspect of working on a development project like this, but it is extremely important and necessary that services given are documented – otherwise we have virtually no proof that our projects are actually doing what they’re supposed to do. This process will keep us (particularly Suzanne and I) very busy for the next couple of weeks.
A typical Saturday or Sunday here goes as follows: wake up a little later than usual (around 8:30 or 9), make instant coffee, try to go online if it’s working, start soaking some laundry, eat breakfast (bread and peanut butter, or muesli, or cereal, or eggs), read (currently reading: Atonement), watch some TV episodes (just finished Grey’s Anatomy season 2… for approximately the eighth time in my life), read, watch something else, try to go online again, rinse my laundry, do a yoga DVD, hang up my laundry, [possibly] shower, read, watch some more TV or a movie, eat a late lunch/early dinner, sometimes receive a phone call from my parents, listen to a podcast (Radiolab is my current favorite), go to sleep around 11. Fascinating, right? But I thought maybe you’d like to know what I do during my quiet weekends here.
I recently finished one of the best books I’ve read here: The Invisible Cure, by Helen Epstein. It’s a fascinating, easy-to-understand book about the AIDS epidemic in Africa and why fighting the disease has been so difficult. I highly recommend it to anybody who wants to understand why AIDS is so devastating in Africa and why western intervention hasn’t worked.
A few things I’ve been missing lately: nail polish, shorts, salads, my coffeemaker, Thursday night NBC shows, Minneapolis, and my besties.
In a couple of weeks we have to submit a report to USAID about the number of clients we’ve served over the past six months. In order to do that, we need to have complete data from our F/CBOs with information about services provided to the clients in the communities. Ideally, the CCGs would be filling out their forms and submitting them back to the F/CBOs on a regular basis, but unfortunately this is far from what actually happens. Even when some of the forms do make it back to the F/CBO offices, they’re not always entered into their databases by the F/CBO staff on a timely basis. They do their best, but for several reasons, their databases are not up-to-date. So, we’ve been playing catch-up with the F/CBO data and helping them enter what forms they do have, and also stressing that they desperately need to get all completed forms back from the communities. This isn’t the most glamorous aspect of working on a development project like this, but it is extremely important and necessary that services given are documented – otherwise we have virtually no proof that our projects are actually doing what they’re supposed to do. This process will keep us (particularly Suzanne and I) very busy for the next couple of weeks.
A typical Saturday or Sunday here goes as follows: wake up a little later than usual (around 8:30 or 9), make instant coffee, try to go online if it’s working, start soaking some laundry, eat breakfast (bread and peanut butter, or muesli, or cereal, or eggs), read (currently reading: Atonement), watch some TV episodes (just finished Grey’s Anatomy season 2… for approximately the eighth time in my life), read, watch something else, try to go online again, rinse my laundry, do a yoga DVD, hang up my laundry, [possibly] shower, read, watch some more TV or a movie, eat a late lunch/early dinner, sometimes receive a phone call from my parents, listen to a podcast (Radiolab is my current favorite), go to sleep around 11. Fascinating, right? But I thought maybe you’d like to know what I do during my quiet weekends here.
I recently finished one of the best books I’ve read here: The Invisible Cure, by Helen Epstein. It’s a fascinating, easy-to-understand book about the AIDS epidemic in Africa and why fighting the disease has been so difficult. I highly recommend it to anybody who wants to understand why AIDS is so devastating in Africa and why western intervention hasn’t worked.
A few things I’ve been missing lately: nail polish, shorts, salads, my coffeemaker, Thursday night NBC shows, Minneapolis, and my besties.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Photos from safari
a lion couple in the ngorongoro crater
a hungry hippo in the serengeti
baby baboon getting a free ride in tarangire national park
herds of zebras in the serengeti
a particularly verbal zebra
lion siblings in a tree at lake manyara national park
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Tanzania summary
I am overwhelmed by the amount of things I should write about in here, as it’s been several weeks since I’ve written and a lot has happened in that time. Since I last wrote, my parents visited me in Tanzania and we did all kinds of fun things that I’m sure I should go into more detail about but the idea of doing so makes me sleepy. So, I will try to summarize the past few weeks of my life as best I can.
When my parents first arrived, we spent two nights at KIA lodge, a pretty upscale (especially by my budget African standards, where anything more than $10 a night seems expensive) hotel located only a couple of miles from Kilimanjaro airport. We spent a whole day just relaxing and catching up, and it was really nice to have that time and not start rushing all over the place.
From KIA lodge we went to the Makumira farm and coffee project in Mt. Meru, where we were able to tour the farm and the coffee fields as well as see how they process the coffee they grow. It’s pretty cool, because they only export coffee to Milwaukee, where it is then roasted and sold. The coffee costs a little bit more than other coffee might cost, but the money goes back to pay the workers fairly.
From Mt. Meru we went to Tarangire National Park, where we did a game drive, spent one night at a lodge, and then did another game drive in the morning. We saw all kinds of animals, but especially a lot of elephants – oh, and lots of baobab trees! We also saw a few baobabs that had huge holes carved into them, which was the work of poachers, who would carve the holes in order to hide in the trees. Depressing. Although now, according to our guide, poaching isn’t as much of an issue as it used to be, due to a crack-down by park rangers. Our driver and guide (who would be with us for all of our safaris), Mapesa, was very knowledgeable and we enjoyed his company. We stayed at Elephant Tented Lodge, which was in an extremely remote area and had wonderfully friendly staff.
In the afternoon, after our second game drive in Tarangire, we went back to Karatu, which would then serve as our base camp for the rest of our time in Tanzania. Mom and Dad were able to stay in the WellShare guest house with me (and Rick and Sharon, two other volunteers) which was extremely convenient and comfortable. We had a day off to relax in Karatu, and then took a day trip to Lake Manyara National Park, which has a completely different landscape and topography than Tarangire. I actually enjoyed it a lot more than I expected to (I guess I had low expectations because it’s a smaller park) and we saw a lot of animals, including two adolescent lions lying in a tree right next to the road. I think that the varied landscape of Lake Manyara might be my favorite of all the parks we visited.
After Lake Manyara, we had another full day off in Karatu. One of the volunteers, Amy, was holding a training for taxi drivers on the topic of what to do when they transport women who are in labor. This happens a lot more than you’d think, and it puts the taxi drivers in a difficult position of suddenly having to act as an impromptu midwife as well as driver. The drivers had a lot of questions and were really interested in the topic (they were especially grateful to receive plastic sheeting to put over their seats so that the women in labor don’t get blood everywhere), and Amy did a great job explaining to them what to do in certain circumstances, i.e. if the umbilical cord is wrapped around the baby’s neck, or if the mom is bleeding a lot. It was very eye-opening to observe the training.
The next day, we left for the Serengeti. We spent two nights in the Serengeti at Seronera Wildlife Lodge, and both the lodge and the park were absolutely incredible. As expected, we saw a LOT in the Serengeti – lions, leopards, crocodiles, elephants, giraffes, all kinds of birds, hippos, tons of zebras and wildebeest, ostriches, buffalo, impala, gazelle… Describing in words doesn’t do it justice. If the internet here was strong enough to post pictures, I would, but for now, see my facebook for pictures of what we saw.
Side note: one of the highlights of the trip was my realization that the Beast in Beauty and the Beast was most definitely designed based on a wildebeest. Google pictures of each and then agree with me.
From the Serengeti, we went to the Ngorongoro Crater, which is the world’s largest unbroken caldera (collapsed volcano). We spent a night at Rhino Lodge, which had a great atmosphere, great food, and enormous buffalos eating grass right outside our rooms at night. The next day we went into the crater, which is touted around these parts as the 8th Wonder of the World. It really was amazing, and the concentration of animals inside the crater is astounding. There is an abundance of water and grassland on the floor of the crater, so although animals can move in and out, they crater is kind of like an oasis for them.
We had one more full day in Karatu, in which we relaxed and ate at our favorite restaurant, Happy Days. On Thursday we were driven to Arusha and all three of us went to the airport – me to fly back to Uganda, and my parents to fly back to the US a few hours later.
I’m so grateful that I was able to spend time in Tanzania – the whole thing really felt like a vacation, but I also learned a lot. Now I’m back in Uganda, where we have a new international volunteer (Suzanne), so I will hopefully stop talking out loud to the one (only ONE, not so weird) stuffed animal I brought along. Suzanne has finished her coursework for her MPH at Tulane, and she’s here for her practicum. She’ll be here until November. I only have a little over two months left here, which is crazy. As they say, time flies when you’re taking bucket showers.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
pictures
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