Help Teacher Grace!

I received this email from my friend Ruth who is still working at AAH in Uganda. I am very concerned about Teacher Grace's condition. THANK YOU to everyone who has helped so far! I ask all of you who are able or willing to give financially or help medically to consider donating to her cause. Please email me if you are interested!

Dear all,

I want to give you an update on Teacher Grace's medical condition, which is extremely serious. Since my arrival in Uganda, Grace has been moving around the country, from doctor to doctor, seeking a clear diagnosis and treatment plan for the discomfort and swelling she has experienced around her right eye since 2006. By May it became clear that she would have to seek treatment in Kampala, and since then she has made approximately five trips to the Mulago hospital eye clinic. I accompanied her on two of these trips, and experienced first-hand the incredibly long waiting times and low standard of care. However, there is currently a team of visiting eye specialists at Mulago, and this week Grace was able to get an appointment with them. Yesterday she updated me, and the news was not good. The visiting specialist stressed that this is an extremely serious condition that should have been operated on months ago. The official diagnosis is "Orbital apex tumor involving the sinus and extending to the optic nerve." She has almost completely lost vision in her right eye, although that may be reversible. The tumor has been steadily growing, and has extended into the brain. It has become a neurological issue and will require a complex surgery that the specialist insists *cannot be performed in Uganda.* He recommends undergoing the surgery in the US or India. That is all the information that Grace was able to give me. The specialist has asked her to return to her previous doctor at Mulago to obtain a comprehensive final report on her condition, and then see him again so that he can make an appropriate referral. Grace plans on doing this during the first week of the term break (August 18th) and I plan on accompanying her. I am hoping to talk to the specialist and get as much information as possible about the condition and a way forward for Grace. One thing is clear though, she is going to require extensive financial assistance in the near future.

Her expenses have already included several tests and scans, as well as the transportation and accommodation necessary for each trip to Mulago. Charlee has been working hard in the States to raise money for this, and raised $700. I loaned Grace an additional $400. However, the expenses outlined above have already consumed the bulk of this money. Although I need a lot more information, I would imagine that Grace is now facing travel and medical costs in the thousands of dollars. I am wondering what AAH can do to help one of our most valuable staff members. Anyone who has visited the school knows that Grace works miracles with the P1 class and is one of the most consistent and capable teachers we have. I will continue to act as a liaison and keep everyone up to date on any information I can gather.

Thanks,
Ruth

Teaching Kindergarten

I taught kindergarten for a few weeks this summer to do something with my unemployment status. I thoroughly enjoy kids and learning. The glimpse at good ole school days made me nostalgic and question my choice of profession. Here are a couple stories from July 11.

School was awesome today! Today I was in Pre K and the students are crazy. We learned about oceans and when a picture of ocean animals was shown, one student pointed to a whale and said, "That's an orca whale, sometimes it is more commonly known as a killer whale." OK, Mr. Smarty pants! This was the same boy who put on a dress during "choice time."

Today was Fantastic Friday and we started the day with drawing pictures of what we would do if we could do anything on a fantastic Friday. I saw lots of swimming pools. One kid said he would rather watch TV so he drew a TV. When I asked him what his favorite TV show is, he threw both fists towards his head, crinkled his nose, and in a crackly voice he said, "Oh brain, why don't you tell me these things... what is my favorite TV showww?" It was hilarious.

Helping Orphans

The sun-exposed village of Mwaraha sits below a patch of eucalyptus forest on the top of Bunasaba, a foothill of Mt. Elgon in Eastern Uganda. Only subsistence farmers live there. Domestic animals roam freely, matooke trees sway in the slight breeze, and men lounge in the hot afternoon sun. The only road to Mwaraha is a small trail on the ridge of the mountain, from which the view of farm patched countryside in the valley below is dotted with mud huts and glaring tin roofs. Nabutsale Agnes and her six grandchildren live in one of those mud huts. Looking from above, one sees the concrete outline of two coffins. In Uganda, these six children are considered orphans – one or both parents have died.

One hot afternoon in February 2008, I joined a small group of volunteers hiking to Nabutsale’s home to bring the children clothing. Nobody was home when we arrived. The hut had just two wooden chairs in the front room, a few clothes on the line, and a cow in the back yard. A couple chickens scurried off as we approached. The neighbors gathered around us. After our greetings, they stared at us, and we stared at them – a typical exchange for strangers who are mutually fascinated by each other, but have reached their limit of communication. Suddenly, a naked little boy came bouncing around the corner. He shook our hands and the neighbors laughed. Then he went to fetch Nabutsale from her field.

Nabutsale’s eyes lit up when she greeted us. She looked ancient and worn. Her florescent patterned dress was tattered from the fields and her hands were leathered. But she was gracious and grandmotherly. Her entire life revolved around rearing children in the face of poverty.

She was delighted at seeing clothing for her grandchildren. She embraced the awkward bundle close to her chest. She bounced her shoulders and whooped her voice in traditional song and dance, an unexpected energy from a woman that had only moments ago seemed so feeble.

Nabutsale left a strong impression on me. Her belongings were few and the children under her care were many. They had little access to medical care, clean water, and proper nutrition. They were susceptible to infectious diseases and likely victims of the disastrous impact HIV/AIDS leaves behind when it takes lives.

While in Uganda I saw things I had only read about in books. I saw how poverty a traps a family and halts its ability to thrive. I saw bellies burgeoning with schistosomiasis and small legs covered by welts from mosquito bites threatening malaria. I smelled babies who, after a night of high fever, vomiting, and convulsions, had been bathed with Imperial soap before coming to the health center. I saw adults with abdominal pain one day, then dead a few days later. I went to Uganda to teach in a primary school and manage a health center for the Arlington Academy of Hope. I left with a new perspective on humanity, global health, and the challenges facing the world I live in.

Malaria Education

Uganda has approximately 30 million people. In 2003, 12 million cases of malaria were reported in Uganda (globalhealthfacts.org). Malaria affects everyone and most families experience death of a loved one due to this treatable and preventable disease. The country is engaged in many efforts to reduce the disease and treat its victims. They still suffer from it tremendously.

While in Uganda, I saw many NGOs providing services to villages. Shortly after my arrival, I was invited by the local government chairman to watch a “health video” presented by Ox Fam. The entire village gathered in the school yard as Ox Fam vans rolled up. A team of young people got out with props and costumes. I quickly learned that “video” actually meant skits with dancing and singing in the local dialect. The theme that day was malaria. The crowd watched as actors showed them how to properly use mosquito nets and encouraged them to seek medical care when necessary. I was impressed by the way locals were involved in educating their neighbors and fellow tribe members.

Here is a video I took of the event:

Before I left, several friends told me, "Africa will change you." Yes it did. My trip to Uganda gave me a new direction. I am passionate about the work I did there and want to continue it in some way. This week I started working at USAID in the Bureau of Global Health on the President's Malaria Initiative. I am grateful for this opportunity and excited to help the people of Uganda and other countries to reduce the impact of malaria and ultimately eradicate the disease.

Favorite African Music

I just thought about the night I went to the Entebbe Resort and ate fried fish and chips. The place felt like it was really swanky in its prime, but still held its respect even though it would now rank low on the scale of modern establishments. It seemed like it catered to sketchy behavior and likely hosted much of it over the years. Maybe the best way to describe it is by comparing it to Mr. Z's in Omaha, NB which is a restaraunt that everyone knows is run by the mafia. The gate to get in is thick steel white doors. The yard is huge and the tables are set up with great distances between them. This is all beach front and has the allure of some 80s beach bar. I had a celebrity sighting there. Bobby Wine - Uganda's foremost popstar. He had an entourage of about a dozen gorgeous women and a few men. I watched him get into his pimped out Escalade and drive off. He had vanity plates that said something typical of a hot shot singer, but I can't remember it now. Anyway, one of his songs was popular on the radio and often got stuck in my head. I found it today on YouTube! Enjoy: