A very cruisy start to the day as no one in the house needed to be up early. However, I still woke at 6am to the sound of toddlers and the discomfort of a full bladder! Went down to the big toddlers room about 9am and was pleased to find a reasonably calm room. I think this was because the pack had been split in half...10 inside and 9 out on the balcony. A much better arrangement. I was also pleased to see puzzles out - a shape puzzle and an animal puzzle. Only problem was that the two puzzles and their respective pieces were being shared among 10 children! Each toddler clutched 1, 2, or 3 pieces tightly, hoarding them like precious treasure, too afraid to try them in the puzzle board for fear of having the pieces snatched away. Never mind though because the puzzle boards were also being clung to for dear life.
Not long after that, the cleaner came in wanting to mop the floor, so 10 became 19 again, on one small balcony. 19 hands fighting for puzzle pieces and also vying for the attention of myself and the only nanny of about 4 or 5 that was out with the children. The others were having a conversation inside. At that point I had about 6 children all screaming and upset because they were trying to sit on me and have my undivided attention. I realized I was causing more of a problem than I was fixing, so I left for a while, leaving them screaming in my wake, clamoring at the gate to try and get me to come back. :(
My shift didn't start till 11.30 so I took the opportunity to pray and prepare myself for the next round. As it turned out, I was rostered on to work with the younger babies for the day. I had a good day down there, helping feed, change, give bottles and cuddles etc. When the babies went to sleep I was asked to go through all of the babies clothes and throw away all the old and torn ones. I tackled the floor to ceiling double wardrobe which had lots of shelves. It was a big job, but I got it done, much to the delight of the nannies. During that time, I had the opportunity to listen to a couple of the nannies talk about their lives, hopes and dreams. They were very friendly and welcoming and asked me questions about my life too. It was a lovely conversation as we all got to share, encourage and speak into each other's lives.
Fred arrived with the girls, to embark on a village tour, about 3pm. We all hopped on the tour bus and made our way to Bbira children's village. Apparently it is the oldest of all the villages. It's houses are set up in circles of 8 and each house can hold 8 children and a mother. We were welcomed inside one mother's house, to find a very rudimentary set up, which was still kept well. Bbira has a primary and high school. We also got to see some interesting sights along the way. The shortcut road to Bbira from Suubi winds through its way through a swamp...one that stretches all the way down to Kampala. We watched men laying cable in rain soaked, red mud, along the roadside. They looked rather wretched and I couldn't help feeling sorry for them...such a hard existence.
Upon my return, I went back down to work out the last 50mins of my shift with the younger bubs...who were all freshly bathed and contented. All that was needed was a bottle, a nappy change and some singing before popping them all into bed. I wish I'd had a camera handy as I was set up with 3 babies heads resting on each side of my legs to feed - 6 in total- much like an old sow in a crate. Now I am relaxing back with a fully belly of curried potatoes and veges. Hannah was sick in the night and vomited once. She also has a nasty cough. I'm hoping desperately that I don't inherit any bugs. So far, by the grace of God, I have enjoyed good health and vitality. Long may this reign continue!
Monday, 30 September 2013
Saturday, 28 September 2013
Suubi - Day 2
Woke up to the sound of boisterous toddlers about 6am. The oldest children are situated in the unit right below us. I went down about 7.30 and was immediately swarmed by toddlers who were out of their minds with boredom and also very hungry for some love and affection. Bath time finished and breakfast followed close behind. After that the children were ushered into the centre area to play. The nannies did very well during this session, offering music and dance. Hannah and Julie cracked out the bubbles, which were met with great excitement. The nannies are very patient and attend to the children's physical cares well. The difficulties seem to be routine care times and then group play where there are not enough resources. This tends to bring out less appropriate behaviours in the children - hitting and biting and tantrums.
After snack time the older toddlers went to the swimming pool and the younger toddlers went back to their unit for stories on the lawn. At that point we chambered up the hill again, to go and help Morris assemble his rope course...Once I had found my jandals, that is. Mental note to keep them well out of them path of oncoming toddlers. We set up a slack line in the pine trees for the older children to practice balancing on. They stuck at it quite well and were getting the gist of it by the time the high bridge walk was up and running. I was first to kit up in the harness, scale the tree and start walking the wire, however, we discovered that the ropes needed adjusting some and the sound of thunder could be heard ominously above. After all the hard work, it was decided to decamp for lunch, abandon the ropes and wait until the thunder had passed. Apparently, not long ago, one of the house mothers was killed by lightening which came straight through the wall of her house. Thankfully none of the children sitting around her were harmed, although traumatized none the less, no doubt.
We descended the hill for lunch and a quick breather before heading down to the markets on the main road. I was noticeably pink by this stage...sun touched, despite copious amounts of sunscreen. Baked beans straight out of the can for lunch, with crackers, another layer of sunscreen and repellent, then off we went. The road to the market winds down through the local community. We were met enthusiastically by many children along the way, all shouting Mzungu! Running to hold our hands, have a cuddle and practice their English...Hello, Good afternoon, How are you, I am fine. A thousand repetitions of that and we were down at the main road, having also passed cows, goats, cats, chickens and ducks with babies, squirrels, dilapidated mud and brick houses and the odd tame rabbit. More cries of Mzungu! as we hit the main road and started scoping out fruit and vegetables from the market. 500 Ugandan shillings for 4 tomatoes and the same for a nice avocado....which are the size of footballs over here.
After dodging trucks, taxis and bodas, it was time to head up the hill again. Thunder was our constant companion in both directions, but we managed to dodge the rain. A very physical day, all told and a tad too much sun. I'll be fit and half the size in no time! But for now, its back to the tranquility of the balcony (apart from the screaming toddler sounds below). Thankfully they are not my problem for now. We have also greeted another volunteer from Holland (Anemeike) who will be assisting in the medical clinic for the next few months.
For those of you who donated money, so far I have made the following donations on your behalf...significant contributions to: curriculum materials for all 3 babies homes, rice and millet for the orphaned children whose orphanage was shut down in Kampala and curriculum materials for a small remedial class run by Jean, who is from the UK. She helps children with their reading and English and does a lot of good with very little help or resourcing.
After snack time the older toddlers went to the swimming pool and the younger toddlers went back to their unit for stories on the lawn. At that point we chambered up the hill again, to go and help Morris assemble his rope course...Once I had found my jandals, that is. Mental note to keep them well out of them path of oncoming toddlers. We set up a slack line in the pine trees for the older children to practice balancing on. They stuck at it quite well and were getting the gist of it by the time the high bridge walk was up and running. I was first to kit up in the harness, scale the tree and start walking the wire, however, we discovered that the ropes needed adjusting some and the sound of thunder could be heard ominously above. After all the hard work, it was decided to decamp for lunch, abandon the ropes and wait until the thunder had passed. Apparently, not long ago, one of the house mothers was killed by lightening which came straight through the wall of her house. Thankfully none of the children sitting around her were harmed, although traumatized none the less, no doubt.
We descended the hill for lunch and a quick breather before heading down to the markets on the main road. I was noticeably pink by this stage...sun touched, despite copious amounts of sunscreen. Baked beans straight out of the can for lunch, with crackers, another layer of sunscreen and repellent, then off we went. The road to the market winds down through the local community. We were met enthusiastically by many children along the way, all shouting Mzungu! Running to hold our hands, have a cuddle and practice their English...Hello, Good afternoon, How are you, I am fine. A thousand repetitions of that and we were down at the main road, having also passed cows, goats, cats, chickens and ducks with babies, squirrels, dilapidated mud and brick houses and the odd tame rabbit. More cries of Mzungu! as we hit the main road and started scoping out fruit and vegetables from the market. 500 Ugandan shillings for 4 tomatoes and the same for a nice avocado....which are the size of footballs over here.
After dodging trucks, taxis and bodas, it was time to head up the hill again. Thunder was our constant companion in both directions, but we managed to dodge the rain. A very physical day, all told and a tad too much sun. I'll be fit and half the size in no time! But for now, its back to the tranquility of the balcony (apart from the screaming toddler sounds below). Thankfully they are not my problem for now. We have also greeted another volunteer from Holland (Anemeike) who will be assisting in the medical clinic for the next few months.
For those of you who donated money, so far I have made the following donations on your behalf...significant contributions to: curriculum materials for all 3 babies homes, rice and millet for the orphaned children whose orphanage was shut down in Kampala and curriculum materials for a small remedial class run by Jean, who is from the UK. She helps children with their reading and English and does a lot of good with very little help or resourcing.
Friday, 27 September 2013
Suubi - Day 1
We made the trip out to Suubi baby's home this morning, arriving just before noon. Our apartment is very spacious and comfortable, with panoramic views of the lush Ugandan countryside available from our balcony. It is very tranquil here. Banana palms, pawpaw trees, goats and cattle grazing, well kept gardens and children's homes dotted around the village - well over a hundred of them, each housing up to 8 children and a mother.
Once settled and unpacked, Hannah, Julie Ann and I went for a stroll around the village with Jean - a teacher - up to the top of the hill and then back down the other side, greeting children of all ages as we went. Did I mention it's filthy hot here, except for a delicious breeze blowing through? Thank God for that, else I'd fry. As it is, I must contend with a delightful shade of vermillion by the time I get to the top of the hill.
Ruth, our supervisor, was very welcoming and seems very keen to get us started, beefing up the curriculum. That shouldn't be too hard, because currently there isn't one. They won't know their 2yr olds in a few weeks or so. They have been running riot out of sheer boredom, but that will soon change, mark my words. As I now understand it, we have been placed here to not only put a programme in place, but also to teach the nannies how to deliver it once we are gone.
We have a few more volunteers arriving over the next week. One from the Netherlands, one from the USA and another Kiwi...making 4 of us Kiwi in total. Go Team New Zealand! I think I'm actually going to enjoy it here, away from the bustle and intimidating personas of the city. We are not officially rostered on until Monday, so we will spend some of tomorrow down in the home, off the clock, getting to know the children and familiarizing ourself with the nannies and routines. The rest of our weekend will be spent exploring, finding the markets for supplies, attending the service on Sunday and getting to know everyone. How civilized...
Once settled and unpacked, Hannah, Julie Ann and I went for a stroll around the village with Jean - a teacher - up to the top of the hill and then back down the other side, greeting children of all ages as we went. Did I mention it's filthy hot here, except for a delicious breeze blowing through? Thank God for that, else I'd fry. As it is, I must contend with a delightful shade of vermillion by the time I get to the top of the hill.
Ruth, our supervisor, was very welcoming and seems very keen to get us started, beefing up the curriculum. That shouldn't be too hard, because currently there isn't one. They won't know their 2yr olds in a few weeks or so. They have been running riot out of sheer boredom, but that will soon change, mark my words. As I now understand it, we have been placed here to not only put a programme in place, but also to teach the nannies how to deliver it once we are gone.
We have a few more volunteers arriving over the next week. One from the Netherlands, one from the USA and another Kiwi...making 4 of us Kiwi in total. Go Team New Zealand! I think I'm actually going to enjoy it here, away from the bustle and intimidating personas of the city. We are not officially rostered on until Monday, so we will spend some of tomorrow down in the home, off the clock, getting to know the children and familiarizing ourself with the nannies and routines. The rest of our weekend will be spent exploring, finding the markets for supplies, attending the service on Sunday and getting to know everyone. How civilized...
Thursday, 26 September 2013
Out and About in Kampala
This morning we went shopping with the two Vickis (Babies and Home Supervisors), Annie (the boss) and Patrick to source items we need for our curriculum roll out. Chiembe market in is downtown Kampala is a great place to source cheap products. However, its not a great place to be if you are white-skinned. We ditched all personal possessions for the trip except for a discretely hidden camera, phone and some money in my cargo pockets. We had tall Vicki in front leading and the way and short Vicki and Patrick behind, keeping a close eye on us. We wound our way into the underbelly of downtown Kampala, through narrow, crowded alleyways, into warehouses and markets which were multilayered. The whole place was an assault on the nose. Exhaust fumes, Red, Ugandan clay dust, urine and other smells I don't even want to guess at. I have a new understanding of the herding instinct - the desire to stay in the middle of the pack, keep up with the leader and not stop for a minute, least you be singled out and plucked off.
Everywhere we went, we could hear the cries go up Mzungu! Mzungu!...that's us...White foreigners. We were the star attraction and all the more conspicuous because of our number - about 13 in total with guides as well. It wasn't long before we decided to split into 2 groups. I went on the fabric expedition, sourcing different fabrics to make various items for the homes. This turned out to be a good choice. After a crazy walk to the fabric markets, the fabric shops themselves weren't quite so busy. We had time and space to try and source our fabrics, bargain for prices, make rapid calculations about how much of each to buy. We did quite well and I felt useful, able to draw on my knowledge from my own early childhood Centre, to contribute to the decision making process. We then chopped our way back through the madness to the safety of our cars, which were parked by the church. Phew what an experience!
Once back at the babies home, we walked to Soho and had lunch . Nice but pricey and I had to kiss my first two selections goodbye as they didn't have them available. Settled for a chicken tandoori wrap and a passion fruit juice for a relatively hefty 28,000 - just over NZD $10. After lunch we waddled back to the home. Some of the girls then went to purchase millet and rice to take to a group of children being held because their orphanage had shut down. A bit of a shambles by all accounts.
Another group of us jumped in the car to go and visit the local Mulago hospital. OH. MY. GOD. I've never seen anything like it. We had to negotiate security first and got a 'guided' tour by the Public Relations department, through the maternity ward. We handed out knitted jerseys to two rooms which were jam packed full of freshly birthed mothers...In total about 60 women, hanging around in corridors, sitting on blankets on concrete, semi-outdoors, having just given birth, babies at their sides...many of them multiples. We thought that was bad enough, but the next two rooms were even more packed, maybe 60 women in each room, a few lucky enough to have beds, but most of them lying under and beside, in the corridors, on the dirty floor with their babies...amidst pools of water, wet dust, blood and other unidentifiable substances which I'd rather not speculate about.
We were then shown into the Special Care Unit, where the preemies are. OH. MY. GOD. Incubators as far as the eye could see, arranged like a Maze with a narrow track running through. We were asked to take our jandals off because "the babies don't like dust". However it seems they are okay with every other substance known to man. We had to pick our way carefully, barefoot, amongst the used syringes and various substances as we viewed the babies and surveyed the overall operation of the unit. I counted four nurses and easily 30+ preemies. Some stacked into incubators together - incubators which were often not even working. Some, desperately fragile and tiny, freshly born, on a two layered metal trolley, some just lying wrapped on plastic deck chairs. Thankfully, I was able to take photos of the carnage, which I will post when I am able.
Here I was able to deliver the crocheted bonnets, mittens and boottees knitted by Linda's daughter. They will be put to such good use here. Wow, just an amazing sight. I'm told by a lady in the room who, is not even a nurse, but is handling babies, that they often die en masse in their incubators and are left undiscovered for hours on end, because the nurses are so busy. Apparently, the rate of births per day is 60 to 100, many of these are twins, triplets and quads. Overwhelming.
Then it was back to the babies home to paint empty formula tins, to make into drums; down to Oasis for a very expensive Suubi shop 155k! (about NZD $75); then home again, dragging said shopping up the hill. I'm done in, but I still have to sort tea and pack. Thankfully, I don't get picked up until 10am. So I have some time up my sleeve. Phew.
Everywhere we went, we could hear the cries go up Mzungu! Mzungu!...that's us...White foreigners. We were the star attraction and all the more conspicuous because of our number - about 13 in total with guides as well. It wasn't long before we decided to split into 2 groups. I went on the fabric expedition, sourcing different fabrics to make various items for the homes. This turned out to be a good choice. After a crazy walk to the fabric markets, the fabric shops themselves weren't quite so busy. We had time and space to try and source our fabrics, bargain for prices, make rapid calculations about how much of each to buy. We did quite well and I felt useful, able to draw on my knowledge from my own early childhood Centre, to contribute to the decision making process. We then chopped our way back through the madness to the safety of our cars, which were parked by the church. Phew what an experience!
Once back at the babies home, we walked to Soho and had lunch . Nice but pricey and I had to kiss my first two selections goodbye as they didn't have them available. Settled for a chicken tandoori wrap and a passion fruit juice for a relatively hefty 28,000 - just over NZD $10. After lunch we waddled back to the home. Some of the girls then went to purchase millet and rice to take to a group of children being held because their orphanage had shut down. A bit of a shambles by all accounts.
Another group of us jumped in the car to go and visit the local Mulago hospital. OH. MY. GOD. I've never seen anything like it. We had to negotiate security first and got a 'guided' tour by the Public Relations department, through the maternity ward. We handed out knitted jerseys to two rooms which were jam packed full of freshly birthed mothers...In total about 60 women, hanging around in corridors, sitting on blankets on concrete, semi-outdoors, having just given birth, babies at their sides...many of them multiples. We thought that was bad enough, but the next two rooms were even more packed, maybe 60 women in each room, a few lucky enough to have beds, but most of them lying under and beside, in the corridors, on the dirty floor with their babies...amidst pools of water, wet dust, blood and other unidentifiable substances which I'd rather not speculate about.
We were then shown into the Special Care Unit, where the preemies are. OH. MY. GOD. Incubators as far as the eye could see, arranged like a Maze with a narrow track running through. We were asked to take our jandals off because "the babies don't like dust". However it seems they are okay with every other substance known to man. We had to pick our way carefully, barefoot, amongst the used syringes and various substances as we viewed the babies and surveyed the overall operation of the unit. I counted four nurses and easily 30+ preemies. Some stacked into incubators together - incubators which were often not even working. Some, desperately fragile and tiny, freshly born, on a two layered metal trolley, some just lying wrapped on plastic deck chairs. Thankfully, I was able to take photos of the carnage, which I will post when I am able.
Here I was able to deliver the crocheted bonnets, mittens and boottees knitted by Linda's daughter. They will be put to such good use here. Wow, just an amazing sight. I'm told by a lady in the room who, is not even a nurse, but is handling babies, that they often die en masse in their incubators and are left undiscovered for hours on end, because the nurses are so busy. Apparently, the rate of births per day is 60 to 100, many of these are twins, triplets and quads. Overwhelming.
Then it was back to the babies home to paint empty formula tins, to make into drums; down to Oasis for a very expensive Suubi shop 155k! (about NZD $75); then home again, dragging said shopping up the hill. I'm done in, but I still have to sort tea and pack. Thankfully, I don't get picked up until 10am. So I have some time up my sleeve. Phew.
Wednesday, 25 September 2013
On the Move
As I mentioned in my previous blog, there are lots of exciting things happening at the babies homes as far as curriculum development goes. Over the past week I've bonded with flatmates, got comfortable with making my way around Kampala and started getting to know the nannies, babies and routines of the main babies home. So today's news hit me like a ton of bricks.
At the monthly meeting of volunteers, we were all given our placements for the coming month. Being so new, I had fully expected to stay my first month at the main home settling in. In fact, when I signed up for this trip, I didn't know that it's standard practice to move volunteers around the 3 main children's homes. I had my heart firmly set on working my full term at the babies home, working with the under 1 year olds. Apparently, God has other plans!
On Friday, I will be relocated to the babies home which I visited in Suubi, leaving behind everything and everyone I have just come to know. On the upside, I will be well away from any of the associated dangers of the city, close to the children's village, in a lovely but semi remote rural setting. I'll also be rooming with 2 kiwis who have come in for a month and whom have been volunteers here in Uganda before. Their knowledge will no doubt be invaluable. I suspect our respective backgrounds and skills have contributed to the decision regarding our placement, in light of the project we have been assigned to work on re curriculum development.
So, the next day or so will be consumed by packing, washing, shopping and generally preparing on every, level for the move, in addition to the curriculum planning and prep we are doing during the day at the home. Lots to contend with. God give me the courage and grace and strength...
At the monthly meeting of volunteers, we were all given our placements for the coming month. Being so new, I had fully expected to stay my first month at the main home settling in. In fact, when I signed up for this trip, I didn't know that it's standard practice to move volunteers around the 3 main children's homes. I had my heart firmly set on working my full term at the babies home, working with the under 1 year olds. Apparently, God has other plans!
On Friday, I will be relocated to the babies home which I visited in Suubi, leaving behind everything and everyone I have just come to know. On the upside, I will be well away from any of the associated dangers of the city, close to the children's village, in a lovely but semi remote rural setting. I'll also be rooming with 2 kiwis who have come in for a month and whom have been volunteers here in Uganda before. Their knowledge will no doubt be invaluable. I suspect our respective backgrounds and skills have contributed to the decision regarding our placement, in light of the project we have been assigned to work on re curriculum development.
So, the next day or so will be consumed by packing, washing, shopping and generally preparing on every, level for the move, in addition to the curriculum planning and prep we are doing during the day at the home. Lots to contend with. God give me the courage and grace and strength...
Tuesday, 24 September 2013
Trip to Suubi Children's Village.
On Sunday we jumped in a dilapidated private taxi and made our way north to Suubi Children's Village, a 45 minute drive from central Kampala. It was fascinating to drive past villages situated by the roadside, getting on with the business of daily living. At Suubi, the village is built on a big hill. At the top of the hill we some could see for miles around and got a real sense of the size and lushness of Uganda. We also found some impressive buildings, which we discovered are classrooms, administration and church buildings. We started the morning with a very lively church service, Uganda style. Wow. The girls and I had a riot. Unlike our churches back home, the people of Uganda praise and worship with abandon, using their whole bodies. Yes folks, these guys know how to dance. A joyful experience. After the service we went to view progress on various construction projects, then made our way down to the children's homes.
Suubi is currently home to 1300 plus orphans between the ages of 2 and 18. Each house has a mother who is allocated 8 children to care for. The scale of the village is impressive. There are numerous projects nearby, such as a fabrication plant and masses of greenhouses. The buildings look new but they are modest in size for 8 children. When we drove down the hill, swarms of children started pouring out of the brickwork. They ran up to us, eager to be picked up and interacted with. It was a little daunting to have heaps of bodies grabbing at you, your bags, clothes, accessories. I was very popular for my sunglasses and the clip on my bag. All of the children vied with each other for turns putting on the glasses and doing up the clip. These children have very little by way of personal possessions. The smallest of trinkets were grasped tightly and proudly shown off to us - a hair tie, a small sticker, a coloured piece of string. So much need and yet, they are now blessed in comparison to what they had prior to being cared for by Watoto.
Next we did a tour of the Suubi babies home, which is mostly inhabited by children who are over the age of two and have been transferred out of the main home in Kampala. From herethey are assigned to mothers in the main village, when space and time allow. Again, an impressive building and set up, but void of any stimulation for growing minds. Having said that, their basic physical needs are well provided for. Because I have decided to stay in Uganda for the bulk of my trip, it is possible I will work at the Suubi home and village for a month, on rotation, depending on the allocation of all current volunteers and the needs of each home for volunteer support.
So far this week, I've only spent a day working with the babies. The rest of my time has been filled with orientation, welcome breakfast at swanky Cafe Java and, most exciting of all, meetings to get a volunteer project underway which is very close to my heart. I am marvelling at the timing of my visit here. For the first time ever, Watoto management have got volunteers together and made them responsible for developing and implementing a learning and development curriculum. The key difficulty in doing this is trying to get the very overworked nannies on board, so that the quality of the programme is sustainable in the longer term. So it looks like we'll be working on the planning phase of the project for the rest of the week, then spending the next few months implementing it. This will allow us to have better quality time with the bubs and therefore be more effective during our time here. I'm really excited about this prospect. Again, in my element. Perfect timing, perfect place.
As a side note, following the terrorist attack in Kenya, we have also received news that terrorist threats have been posted on Twitter for Kampala. Security has been massively scaled up on response. I am completely unconcerned at this point. I am being extremely careful, but have a strong sense that we are okay for the moment. I'll be more concerned when the threat dies down and the security is scaled back some. Having said that, I still feel I'm in good hands. I've got work to do.
Suubi is currently home to 1300 plus orphans between the ages of 2 and 18. Each house has a mother who is allocated 8 children to care for. The scale of the village is impressive. There are numerous projects nearby, such as a fabrication plant and masses of greenhouses. The buildings look new but they are modest in size for 8 children. When we drove down the hill, swarms of children started pouring out of the brickwork. They ran up to us, eager to be picked up and interacted with. It was a little daunting to have heaps of bodies grabbing at you, your bags, clothes, accessories. I was very popular for my sunglasses and the clip on my bag. All of the children vied with each other for turns putting on the glasses and doing up the clip. These children have very little by way of personal possessions. The smallest of trinkets were grasped tightly and proudly shown off to us - a hair tie, a small sticker, a coloured piece of string. So much need and yet, they are now blessed in comparison to what they had prior to being cared for by Watoto.
Next we did a tour of the Suubi babies home, which is mostly inhabited by children who are over the age of two and have been transferred out of the main home in Kampala. From herethey are assigned to mothers in the main village, when space and time allow. Again, an impressive building and set up, but void of any stimulation for growing minds. Having said that, their basic physical needs are well provided for. Because I have decided to stay in Uganda for the bulk of my trip, it is possible I will work at the Suubi home and village for a month, on rotation, depending on the allocation of all current volunteers and the needs of each home for volunteer support.
So far this week, I've only spent a day working with the babies. The rest of my time has been filled with orientation, welcome breakfast at swanky Cafe Java and, most exciting of all, meetings to get a volunteer project underway which is very close to my heart. I am marvelling at the timing of my visit here. For the first time ever, Watoto management have got volunteers together and made them responsible for developing and implementing a learning and development curriculum. The key difficulty in doing this is trying to get the very overworked nannies on board, so that the quality of the programme is sustainable in the longer term. So it looks like we'll be working on the planning phase of the project for the rest of the week, then spending the next few months implementing it. This will allow us to have better quality time with the bubs and therefore be more effective during our time here. I'm really excited about this prospect. Again, in my element. Perfect timing, perfect place.
As a side note, following the terrorist attack in Kenya, we have also received news that terrorist threats have been posted on Twitter for Kampala. Security has been massively scaled up on response. I am completely unconcerned at this point. I am being extremely careful, but have a strong sense that we are okay for the moment. I'll be more concerned when the threat dies down and the security is scaled back some. Having said that, I still feel I'm in good hands. I've got work to do.
Saturday, 21 September 2013
Settling in
All in all I had a good trip over and enjoyed the Emirates experience, as much as one can when in transit for 35hrs cattle class. For those days I existed in a time warp somewhere in between not quite asleep and a long way from awake. Flying over the expanse of sea from Yemen and catching my first glimpse of the mother land was a real triumph, mixed with both joy and excitement. I finally made it to Africa! It was also a real thrill to fly over the origin point of the Nile. With passport stamped I was, met by the very friendly Fred and driven to a guest house for the night. Said guest house turned out to be much more luxurious than I had anticipated which was a real bonus. Somewhere safe to unfurl and collapse. The next day I was driven into the centre of Kampala to change money and get basic supplies. I have a new appreciation of just how pale-skinned I am and felt uncomfortably conspicuous. I was then taken to my more permanent accommodation -another very comfortable apartment in Kololo, about 30 minutes walk from the main orphanage. Here I am camped out with 7 other girls from across the globe.
The next couple of days were spent settling in and trying to re-adjust my body clock. In those first 4 days I existed on just 15hrs sleep in total. Zombie. Thankfully I got my first 7hr stretch, just before I was due to start my first day of work at the babies home. Today was my second day on the job. The home has about 6 rooms, divided into different age ranges, under 2yrs of age. Each room houses about 10 babies. If I'd had a spare set of hands I would loved to have taken a photo yesterday which would have summed up the experience perfectly. Picture, if you can, me sitting on a 2 x 3m blanket surrounded by a sea of hungry 3 to 9 month old babies...about 20 in total... all screaming for bottles. The day revolves around cycles of bottles, bathing, feeding, changing and sleeping. There are delightful pockets of calm where you can scoop up a tiny little treasure and spend some quality time having a cuddle. The need is so great, despite the orphanage being well set up. Very little to stimulate a developing brain. There are a few boxes of dilapidated toys, but they are not always available. On my first day, I sat with 5 toddlers hanging off me and watched as they crawled along the cold floor trying to find something to do. One found a rubbish bin lid, which I turned into a drum; another an empty plastic straw wrapper that made a crinkling sound; and another was content to play with my shoe laces. Here, you are the entertainment. A loving smile and sustained eye contact are your greatest assets. The hope and joy of being noticed and affirmed are evident on each babies face when they see you smiling at them. In these precious and not-frequent-enough moments the love of God shines brightly. Blessed moments. This is what I am here for.
I am also working hard to build relationships with the men and women who work here. They have hard lives, working 12 hour shifts each day before going home to the demands of family life in a poor country. They pour out their all and are really the key to the whole operation. In just a short time I have seen the potential for further mission here. So much can be done, both at organizational level and at the coal face. Consequently, I am looking into the possibility of staying here in Uganda for the majority of my time away. Perhaps until the last week or so before I go. Then I might treat myself to a safari tour before coming home to regroup. Tomorrow and Monday I will be traveling to one of the children's villages in Suubi. I have seen so much already but am struggling to take photos because it's so hands on, in the moment. It's also proving difficult to upload photos to this Blog, but I'll do my best. More soon. Suffice it to say, I am absolutely in my element. Being here is all I dreamed of and more. Day by day the place is becoming more familiar and normal. Even the machine gun-toting security guards posted outside the local shopping mall don't seem as daunting and I have yet to clap eyes on a single mosquito!
The next couple of days were spent settling in and trying to re-adjust my body clock. In those first 4 days I existed on just 15hrs sleep in total. Zombie. Thankfully I got my first 7hr stretch, just before I was due to start my first day of work at the babies home. Today was my second day on the job. The home has about 6 rooms, divided into different age ranges, under 2yrs of age. Each room houses about 10 babies. If I'd had a spare set of hands I would loved to have taken a photo yesterday which would have summed up the experience perfectly. Picture, if you can, me sitting on a 2 x 3m blanket surrounded by a sea of hungry 3 to 9 month old babies...about 20 in total... all screaming for bottles. The day revolves around cycles of bottles, bathing, feeding, changing and sleeping. There are delightful pockets of calm where you can scoop up a tiny little treasure and spend some quality time having a cuddle. The need is so great, despite the orphanage being well set up. Very little to stimulate a developing brain. There are a few boxes of dilapidated toys, but they are not always available. On my first day, I sat with 5 toddlers hanging off me and watched as they crawled along the cold floor trying to find something to do. One found a rubbish bin lid, which I turned into a drum; another an empty plastic straw wrapper that made a crinkling sound; and another was content to play with my shoe laces. Here, you are the entertainment. A loving smile and sustained eye contact are your greatest assets. The hope and joy of being noticed and affirmed are evident on each babies face when they see you smiling at them. In these precious and not-frequent-enough moments the love of God shines brightly. Blessed moments. This is what I am here for.
I am also working hard to build relationships with the men and women who work here. They have hard lives, working 12 hour shifts each day before going home to the demands of family life in a poor country. They pour out their all and are really the key to the whole operation. In just a short time I have seen the potential for further mission here. So much can be done, both at organizational level and at the coal face. Consequently, I am looking into the possibility of staying here in Uganda for the majority of my time away. Perhaps until the last week or so before I go. Then I might treat myself to a safari tour before coming home to regroup. Tomorrow and Monday I will be traveling to one of the children's villages in Suubi. I have seen so much already but am struggling to take photos because it's so hands on, in the moment. It's also proving difficult to upload photos to this Blog, but I'll do my best. More soon. Suffice it to say, I am absolutely in my element. Being here is all I dreamed of and more. Day by day the place is becoming more familiar and normal. Even the machine gun-toting security guards posted outside the local shopping mall don't seem as daunting and I have yet to clap eyes on a single mosquito!
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