I sincerely hope that my bus ride/travels will not provoke as much laughter as the last time - really I do. However, "best laid plans" never work out in Africa, so check in occasionally to read how I have stumbled or had to switch to "Plan B".
Plan A at this point is to get there (27 hours on planes), then connect with a great taxi driver we met last time. He and I will be trying to find a rental 4WD vehicle to bring up a refrigerator for the clinic medicines and a new radio transmitter for the radio station in Kitgum. The two of us will then try to navigate ourselves up to Kitgum (I'm sure I'll be a big help navigating through the bush- but Steve has his doubts). The next 2 weeks will be spent in working on teaching the nurses/doctors, building relationships with the local hospital and government offices, procuring medications and lab equipment.
I am also taking girls hygiene supplies - and doing some health education teaching with high school girls. See the great website for daysforgirls.org for more information on this simple but important project. (This itself may provide some humor... At immigration into Uganda - "What do you have in this suitcase?" "I have 50 pounds of feminine hygiene products sir" "What?" (as he looks me up and down). "How long will you be staying in Uganda?" Enough said - you will have to stay tuned for that one.
There is another blogsite yotkumuganda.blogspot.com which is written by the Australian doctor I am working with in Kitgum Uganda as well. He will be writing about the progress on the clinic we are developing on site at the school in northern Uganda. You might be interested in his blog as well. I am sure you will get more accurate information from his blog. :)
Thanks for your good wishes and prayers...
Laurel
Travel safe.
ReplyDelete