Saturday 28^th February

Telegraph poles going up near the hospital

 

The week has proved quite busy. Ann has had the opportunity to visit a local nursery school set up to help poor families in the area. She went with Dave and his son Jack who are 2 motor mechanics who have been doing a great job here trying to service and resurrect various hospital vehicles. At least one Landrover that hasn’t moved for years is now back on the road which is a major achievement.

Visiting the Nursery School with Dave and Jack

Coffee out to dry

The kitchen at the nursery

One child was unwell and needed carrying home by an older brother

 

We have visited a couple of local people’s homes in the last 24 hours. Betty is a teacher at the local primary school who lives nearby with her husband who is the bursar of the local vocational college. They have 5 children. As often happens we went at around 5pm having just asked to have some tea and were given a full meal including goats meat. This morning a similar arrangement to see John and his wife Sadras resulted in being given some goat’s liver! John is attached to the local Anglican Diocese working amongst Muslims in the area. We plan to go to see a school at Bwera on Tuesday that he has helped to establish and also travel with him to Kasese.

At John and Sadras' home

The hospital has been bsuy with numerous patients with HIV and a particularly bad case of cerebral malaria in an 18 year old man admitted last night. One of the HIV patients is a young man who has been in the hospital several weeks trying to combat the combined effects of TB and another infection called PCP in his lungs. He still needs oxygen all the time so it is just as well that the power is consistently maintained at present to keep the oxygen concentrator working.

                  Young man with HIV                         Chest Xray still showing ongoing infection

Dave, Jack and Marin the agriculturalist are on their way back to Entebbe today so a refreshment stop on the way back has been arranged at the Esuubi Café!!

 

 

Monday 23 February

On Saturday we journeyed to Kagando taking in a brief stop to show Sabuni who was driving us the Cafe. Hopefully he will make it a regular stopping place as he transports various people backwards and forwards to Kagando in the months ahead.  It’s a 6 to 7 hour journey so we were grateful to be able to spend much of yesterday recovering.

We have had a gentle introduction today with a ward round on male ward for me and Ann visiting the school briefly. The patients were a fresh reminder to me if I needed it of the complex nature of many of the medical problems occurring here. 3 patients with HIV all brought their challenges while two others had severe anaemia with haemoglobin levels of only 3.1 and 1.9 respectively (the normal in the UK would be over 14). A medical student on her first day here who was going round with us found it all pretty mindboggling I think.

This afternoon we had time to look at the agricultural project whose produce is sold to help sustain the hospital. It was impressive to see the chicken rearing and cow projects. It has certainly given much food for thought as to how we can best utilise the land at Ekiwumulo to help sustain the orphanage and school along similar lines.

Martin a visiting agriculturalist and Ann with a 4 week old calf

Lots of huge cabbages which will sell for 3000 UgSh each

Chickens all nearly ready to lay Eggs currently sell for 300 UgSh each

Kagando on the face of it seems little changed physically but as far as personnel is concerned nearly everyone is new. Of the medical staff only 1 clinical officer and the paediatrician were here 2 years ago. The Ugandan junior doctors just out of medical school have only been here for 3 weeks and are often having to cope on their own with very complex and difficult medical problems. It could be an interesting and challenging 3 weeks ahead.

Friday 20^th February

An uneventful  flight  got us safely to Entebbe and we had a good pick up to get us to our first nights’ accommodation Since our arrival here in Mityana yesterday lunchtime we have been busy assessing what has happened in the 10 weeks since we were last here

Ann with Bushira in a new dress at Ekiwumulo

 

At Ekiwumulo much of the embankment reinforcement has been done to reduce soil erosion and good progress has been made on starting to use the land adjacent to the school and orphanage. A lot of Cassava has been planted and this looks to be growing well along with a few yams.

Cassava staring to grow well

 Also a lot of land is being prepared ahead of anticipated rains Prior to last night there had been little rain in the last couple of months which had led to Jerry cans of water costing people 1000UgSh (about 25p) which is a huge amount for many people. Fortunately it rained heavily last night which although it kept us awake was very welcome.

The sixth house opened just last Monday for 20 new children. Beds outside waiting to be moved in.

 

At the café further finishing work has progressed and there looks to be a real possibility of formally opening the café on either Saturday 14^th or 21^st of March. He café is already working to a limited degree but there are still some teething problems to cover in the next 2 to 3 weeks. We had chilli con carne today which was good experience for the staff to manage.

Waiting for chilli con carne!

 

 

All we need now is customers!

 

On our way to the café we were reminded of the ever present danger on the roads where we saw a jack knifed lorry with trailer which had caused a serious injury to a pupil walking to school this morning.