Wildlife and wild life.

A month of comings and goings. Jenny arrived then our daughter Naomi, Julia left and we were sorry to see her go.

Jenny is here to pack up her house and say farewell. The office is a collection of cardboard boxes of small items she would like to sell to staff but there is still a lot left.

Mike and Naomi have been on a couple of trips.

 

 

Sadly the Golden Monkey trek did not find any monkeys but they did find chameleons and a gecko. There is a gecko poking his head out of a hole in the rock here.

 

 

 

 

 

Gorillas were more succesful. The Silverbacks sat with their backs to them all the time but the young ones were feeling more friendly. Naomi took this brilliant photo of a youngster, about two years old.

 

 

Not far off in age and very similar in behaviour is young Ivan. He was refusing to go to sleep one evening. Here is Mike looking tired but Ivan ready to play for a few more hours! Moses has been crying a lot and we have been taking him in the evenings. I thought it was Moses crying and went to fetch him but discovered it was this one instead.

The Medical Centre is almost permanently full these days. This morning they discharged one child only to fill the bed again within a short time. There had to be emergency trip to the pharmacy for more drugs the other day. The number of people coming for immunisations has also increased. We don't get money for doing them but it does mean that more local families are able to see the premises and what can be offered.

We only have one premature baby at the moment and he is doing well. Currently he is lying under the ultraviolet light for jaundice treatment. He is lying in his nappy and eyes covered looking very comfortable - as if he is in a tanning machine.

On Thursday Emmanuel was collected by the UN to be taken to his Grandmother in the Congo. Nine personel arrived in two large vehicles which was a bit overkill. Emmanuel was understandably petrified of all the new faces so they only managed a quick (and essential for them) photo of them with a screaming child. Not the best for a UN photo album!

 

 

 

Is this what it's like to be a Celebrity?

My, how the weeks race by.

Things have got a lot busier here both in the Medical Centre and with our resident children. We took in a set of twins and a single baby within a short space of time. Julia, our 20 year old volunteer nobly took in a twin for 3nights before the need for sleep took over. We now have a set of twins in each baby room and a set sharing an incubator.

I woke at 5am the other night to the most awful heart rending wailing. I knew it meant a mother had just lost her baby in the Medical Centre. This was a 5 month old who had diarrhoea & vomiting for 3 days. While the mother went to get medicine, the grandmother thought she would be helpful and took the baby to the local healer for a local tonsillectomy - piercing the tonsils with a stick or bicycle spoke to let the badness out. The baby was brought to us with a temperature of 40 degrees and the family admitted she had bled profusely after the procedure. Blood poisoning had set in. This was the baby that died. There were 2 others on the ward who had been given the same procedure. Our Uganda Nurse tells them quite firmly the dangers of doing this. Unbelievebly, the parents of one of these children brought in their 4 year old son this morning. Despite what they had been told and despite witnessing the death of the baby, they had taken him for a local tonsillectomy and now he was much worse!

A member of our staff got married last week. I was invited to her Give Away ceremony in her home village. It was an hours drive into the mountains then a steep walk. I would have had to have gone by myself and was somewhat nervous of getting lost and climbing the wrong mountain. I also wasn't sure how steep, steep meant! I asked if I could attend the wedding service the following day instead as at least a taxi could get to the church. One of the other girls who was her attendant told me it had been a really steep climb so I was glad I hadn't tried. Also, the ceremony was supposed to start at mid day but didn't begin until 5.30 pm!

The wedding ceremony was joyful. As white people are a total rarity up there and I took tall, blond, Swedish Julia with me, the Vicar stopped the ceremony (we were a bit late) to have us introduced. Very embarrassing. Julia did not like being gawped at and having children in the pews behind her stroking her hair. We got more attention than the bride!

 

Some days the rain is so much - as the locals say in English. On this day it had rained all day and the lower ground was completely underwater. Staff did not know how to get home so Mike did some runs in the pick-up. The roads were muddy rivers and very slippery. A car would not have made it along some of them.

 

 

Another lovely use of English.....Are you coming now, or now now? Now now means right now, now means sometime soon.

 

 

Ivan is very into taking our shoes on and off. It proved very useful after the Tuesday staff meeting. Everyone's shoes were outside the door so there is a bottleneck whilst people slip theirs on. Ivan helpfully collected and brought Mike and me our pairs and put them at our feet which caused great hilarity.

 

Variety.

 

Our biggest ongoing challenge at the moment is the Internet. Sometimes there is no connection at all, others you watch the circle going round and round but never achieving anything and occasionally you find it working......then the power goes off. This evening is the first good signal since Friday.

For two days we felt as though we were in Britain. We woke to find it really cold and for the first time in Africa I put on my fleece and kept it on all day. In the afternoon it poured with rain so long and hard that Mike had to use the pick-up truck to ferry some staff home. The roads were muddy rivers. An ordinary car would have got stuck. The following day was also cold and I was informed that the staff had put the previous day's rain down to my wearing a jumper all day - what power I exert, I can make it rain! I informed them that I was not taking off my jumper and freezing just to prove it would rain anyway. It poured that day as well but since then has gone the other way and been hotter than usual.

There have been a variety of activities. Mike drove the pick-up and helped Festo get in wood to replace the rotten decking where the toddlers play. The wood caused the one remaining latch to break that held the back panel up. It cost 75p to re-solder!

He also got the tyres pumped up at the only air pump. The pump was a hose with no valve attachment so they had to pull the valves out of the tyres and shove the hose in as best they could. How long before our valves no longer fit the tyres?

 

 

 

It seems to be tourist season for the Germans and Scandinavians at the moment. It is always enjoyable to show visitors around and the babies enjoy the cuddles. We are now on the local tour guide 'things to see in Kisoro' list.

 

 

 

 

With the arrival of better weather and a Saturday off, Mike decided to try climbing Gahinga, the third highest volcano. It took 4 hours to get up and 3 to come down. It was a real achievement - though he is now not so sure about tackling Muhabura which is even higher. At points he had to scale rickety ladders which made him feel very exposed and unsafe. He wasn't too stiff this morning so he did very well indeed.

 

 

His guides complete with rifle to scare away animals - mostly rogue buffalo. They did see some golden monkeys in the trees when in the bamboo forest. Occasionally elephants have been spotted but there are very few left.

 

 

 

 

Looking into the crater at the top.

The wisps are cloud, not steam!

 

 

 

 

 

The maize stalks were cut down and the view from our kitchen window is beautifully African. Women tilling the land and behind them school children dancing to drum music. In no time the maize will grow again and our view will be stalks once more.

 

 

 

The Medical Centre has been quieter this week. We had a premature baby in 2 days ago who sadly died this morning. She arrived 6 hours after delivery and was very cold. Another prem arrived today. She is 1.7 kg so a better weight but she was sent home from hospital after delivery. The neighbour thought the baby didn't look good so the family went back to the hospital who then referred them to us. The baby was blue when she arrived and with an unrecordable temperature. She has warmed up but is causing concern. There is the possibility of a bowel blockage but to take her out of the incubator and back to the hospital to wait for a scan would be too risky. It is hoped that by tomorrow there will be a clearer picture of the problem - or a resolution of the problem!

 

 

 

Road Trip

 

We have now done the journey to Kampala and back. Not a trip I am in any hurry to repeat. We spread it over two days. Jackson coped with the journey very well. The one thing Mike had stipulated was that he did not want to drive through the centre of Kampala. We missed the bypass and he did just that - straight through the centre. We emerged not having hit anything and nothing having hit us - amazing!

A tired Jackson (in yellow) meets his schoolmates.

The school is ideal. Small and quiet with 30 children. There are many in wheelchairs, some more disabled than him others less. It is good for Jackson to be with children like himself and hopefully they will inspire him to see if he can do the things they can do. We took two Carers with us and they could appreciate that it was a good place for him to be. That will reassure the other staff at Potters. The journey was expensive and we cannot do it on a termly basis. The school will consider whether they can keep him until December which will help us greatly.

 

 

On the way back we stopped at the equator for a drink and a banana and cinnamon pancake. As Mike says, it beats any British service station.

 

Parts of the road are very good. In other parts it's chaotic. You are supposed to drive on the left but it's 'anything goes' as you dodge the potholes.

 

 

 

 

 

Back on site, Julia has joined us from Sweden until the end of April.

 

Here she is varnishing our bamboo chairs which woodworm continue to munch despite being coated with a whole tin of woodworm treatment.

I wish you could hear the amazing musical effects below me. The Carers are singing local songs with lovely harmonies. Their accompaniment is a very plonky toy piano with about 5 notes and a collection of baby rattles. It's amazing what can be achieved.

 

All creatures great and small

It's amazing to think that 2 weeks ago we were still in the UK. Also amazing to think that 1 year ago tomorrow, we first arrived in Uganda.

 

First thing was to greet all the Village Occupants including this frog that had taken up residence in the bathroom. We were happy to leave him be until his position of choice was under the toilet basin rim - very disconcerting when you flushed and were left with a swimming frog! It was hard to catch him before he secreted himself away again but eventually we did and put him outside. From the amount of gecko droppings in the house, they had clearly enjoyed the abundance of flies too.

 

 

 

To our great joy we were not charged excess baggage for the wheelchair. Our luggage arrived safely and our usual Kisoro taxi man borrowed a pick-up van to meet us at the border. I have spent this afternoon sewing foam cushions to wedge either side of Jackson so he doesn't flop sideways.

 

 

Sometimes in the evenings we take in persistent criers from next door. This evening it is Gukuru (means older twin). Sleep is definitely not on his mind just now. We had his twin 2 nights ago so maybe he just wants his turn.

 

 

We had our first premature baby come in directly from the community rather than being referred by the Hospital. The Dad grabbed the baby, without tying the cord properly, and made the one hour journey down. He then had to go back and get his wife. Turinayo was cold but warmed up and is doing well. A few days ago the children's ward was full and we were wondering how to expand - today it is empty. We get them back home as soon as it is safe.

We nearly had a new member of toddlers today. The pig escaped and was running up the ramp to the toddlers' room. A Carer was brandishing a broom but the pig was unfazed. David the gateman arrived in the nick of time. The trick is to get the broom and use it to tickle her tummy then put a rope round her leg while she is distracted. You never know what new thing you may learn in a day!

 

New Growth

 

As ever, a busy couple of weeks. We seem to be coming out of the wet season and get sunshine into the evening most days. A bit of a contrast with weather in the UK!

We've had 4 newborn babies in 2 weeks which is stretching the staff in babies A. We have put in extra workers for day and night. We have another baby waiting to come in but he is currently in an incubator in the prem unit so we have a bit of time before finding a space for him.

 

 

 

Late Sunday afternoon and the Carers dance to entertain the toddlers but they seem monumentally uninterested.

 

 

 

Meanwhile, Dushime, who is going home tomorrow plots a bit of last minute mayhem. I have irrefutable evidence should we suddenly be without water.

 

 

 

 

Winniefred, our new Social Worker is learning fast. A father to one toddler who is ready to be resettled said that as his son was healthy and doing well, could he not stay on here. 'Eh' she said...'Do you see other children who have been left here by their fathers? Do you not take any responsibility for this child being brought into the world? You have remarried and had another child yet want to reject this one who lost his mother?' After several minutes of this he meekly handed over his phone contact number and directions for her to visit his house. Yep, she'll do well. We are not in the habit of bullying families, I hasten to add, but sometimes they need a bit of a reminder as to their agreement. Her home visit will ensure there is no reason why he cannot have the child.

Another proud moment was picking the first tomato grown at Potter's Village.

 

We need to take more seeds back with us in January. The children now have basil and parsley added to their food for added greens and taste. Parsnips will soon be ready but they are something new here and I am told it will take a while for locals to believe they are not carrots with something gone wrong with them.

 

 

Relaxation

 

After a busy week we headed off to Mutanda Lake Resort for a couple of nights. It is only an hours journey from us and would take much less time to get there if the roads were not so bad and so bumpy. Like Lake Bunyoni, it is a huge lake dotted with small islands.

Instead of bamboo domes, this time it is tents on stilts.

 

 

 

View from our room with the nearest 3 volcanoes in the background.

 

The small peak on the left is our favourite walk to the view of Lake Mutanda. Kisoro is over the other side of the hill.

 

 

 

 

It may not look like it but the photo below is one of a pair of otters in the water just below our room.

It has been good to have a break. Jackie left on Thursday and just before her leaving 'do' began, I had a message to say that the new person appointed to help with finances had got herself another job. Praise the Lord, she said......nope, it didn't seem too praiseworthy to me! The following day the guy who does our purchasing went AWOL. Apparently he does this occasionally....great!

Still, when all is said and done, things are going fine. It is important to keep local norms of behaviour at the forefront and not have western expectations of work ethic or reliability. Some people do have a strong work ethic etc and they are real gems.

The new washing machine arrived from Kampala but the buttons do not do what they say in the manual. For instance, it fills with water for the rinse cycle, comes up with an error saying there is no water in the machine, empties the water and beeps until you turn it off and manually put it on spin. A Samsung engineer in Uganda? No, the nearest is in South Africa and the Supermarket in Kampala are not interested. At least it works after a fashion!

Mike has been using the new medical equipment he bought in Kampala. He began by testing the iron levels of some of our children. Even the lad he picked as his control example turned out to be mildly anaemic. This reflects the poor diet here. This is sad and rather concerning. It is the problem of lack of protein - and our children get tuna and mince every week, whereas most community children get neither. We are also feeding them broccoli and spinach from our garden but maybe vegetables that grow so quickly here lack the essential minerals? Mike sees children as outpatients who are incredibly malnourished. He is thinking and discussing if there is some intervention we can offer that is practical and effective without making people dependent on us. If anyone reading this has ideas, they would be most welcome.