Bupoto Clinic opening

2/16/08

We packed 50 students into a 38 seat bus and hired a mutatu for the teachers and guest and headed to a village about 3 kilometers from Kenya called Bupoto. Joyce Wanda, a founder of AAH, grew up Bupoto and after losing 4 sisters to preventable/treatable diseases, AAH built a clinic there. The village is set on the slopes of Mt. Elgon, which is the 8th or 9th tallest/biggest peak in Africa. The rocky face reminds me of the Rockies, but the green green matooke that speckles its sides resembles Hawaiian volcanic peaks.

The day was full of festivities. The new clinic is the biggest thing that has likely ever happened in this village. Well, maybe the school that Idi Amin had built in memory of one of his colleagues who grew up there was nearly as big a deal to the town, but that was back in the 80s. The new clinic will hopefully offer care to thousands of people who reside miles and miles away from the nearest hospital or medical facility.

The day was full of festivities that began around 1 pm and finished around 5:30 and consisted primarily of a forever long ceremony. We were so pleased to have the entire village present as well as many district officials, chairmans, and important visitors from Kampala. In this culture, everyone official must have a chance to speak, and it seems to me that everyone is official in some way. Speeches typically begin with, “I will be brief in congratulating…” Then they turn into prolific 30 minute orations acknowledging everyone present and everyone who contributed. They then go on explaining one’s personal contribution to the celebrated cause. Simply said, ceremonies are a long ordeal. (Our P-7 graduation lasted 3.5 hours, not including the meal.) However, the dancing and music is amazing and I’m learning to endure.

P.S. As a special guest, I received another chicken. I’m up to 6 now!