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Tina Meredith writes...

...about her experience while volunteering in Uganda.

7 January 2006
This one letter will go to all of you as the limited access to the computer is very limited here. First of all, thank you for keeping in touch, it really does mean so very much to me especially being so far away. Let me give you an idea of my surroundings. First of all the heat is way above 35 Celsius and honestly, I am perfectly comfortable in it! Being a "dry" heat makes it much more tolerable compared to the Caribbean! The trip and the jet lag really overwhelmed me the first few days as this is all new to me...thankfully, I do find having previously lived in the Dominican Republic has given me a good "base" for travelling in third world countries, but still, this is extreme in my case. A couple days after my arrival at the capital of Uganda, I started my journey 1 hour plus, North towards Jinja, but more precisely, to the little village of about 12,000 peasants (Bukono) in Bulumagi where I have been posted to work on my own at the Medical Clinic, Christ the King. When I finally arrived, I almost fell over backwards! That? A "clinic"! Really, the equivalent to any other shack in that very poor neighbourhood. How on earth would I ever be able to achieve anything in these kinds of conditions? In any case, my thoughts were quickly distracted as the whole neighbourhood was awaiting for "their White Stranger-" to arrive. I wasn't prepared for the beautiful greeting they gave me! They chanted their National Anthem in Luganda, then in English, plus one by one, the Director of the Clinic, the "nurses and mid-wives" gave a speech to welcome me! They even had a translator but I have to say, I was glad I had prepared something short BUT, in Luganda to express my gratitude and it was greatly appreciated. Then, they requested I do another speech! Well, I did...the ceremony was then led into the backyard of the Clinic where there was food and introductions in place.

I was blown away with their kindness! Now these are the poorest of the poorest...so many are terribly sick but they greeted me like royalty so therefore, I have only respect and immense gratitude of which I am trying to repay by working VERY hard at the Clinic. And I am! First of all, my accommodation is "fine", apart the fact that I have to live with "bats". Yes well, I am in far away Africa and I won't find better than what I have around here. The bats are pretty good roommates as they wait until I turn off the lights before they start making a mess and go hunting for food. I sleep under a mosquito net so I feel protected but still, if I need to pee in the middle of the night, well you can imagine, I AIN'T getting out from under my net till the rooster sings!!

Overall, "the girls" are not looking so threatening as time goes by, I've already called the bigger one of which I assume is a male, "George", in "respect" towards my Dad! AAAH-AAAH! As soon as I wake up, little children start gathering around my windows to just "stare" at me and they giggle too! When I am ready to step out, they follow me, ask me if they can be my friend and if they can hold my hands. They greet me by doing the sign of the cross and kneeling as they are very religious here. I cannot describe how it feels except that it is like a twilight zone experience to be here. I am definitely on high "survivor mode". I am sooooooo busy at the clinic, you see, the village and all its surroundings heard their is a white woman at the clinic and they assume I can heal all of them and this is no joke. They come from far away by foot just to touch me and for me to take their blood pressure with instruments 60 years old is VERY impressive! I do provide counselling and visit their homes...how can I describe what my eyes are witnessing...I feel helpless and very frustrated at times with so many limitations and obstacles in order to help the very poor and sick people. The few meds we have at the clinic is all stuff we would not necessarily use in Canada, some are over the limit of expiry dates and kept in very hot temperatures...they line up and wait anyway...when I think it is time to close, someone else arrives from a long journey specifically to see the white person so I stay and receive them with my very good mid-wife and associate nurse, Doreen...wow, what a trip! Next week, I go and present a speech at a conference a couple hours away, on Palliative Care...Anyway, this is a very small portion of what I am living right now. Thank you for reading me...you all take care as I have to go, will write more next weekend. LOVE, TINA XXX

Well, everyday is an adventure so I will just "pick" Tuesday as my main "feature" today. First of all, today (Saturday) for me is a "day off" so I can take the Boda-Boda to Jinja, the only town nearby which has access to internet when electricity is available. For someone like me, it is a great "luxury" to be in that little town, but in reality, if I was a tourist, I wouldn't stop but just drive right through it. I go on for days without seeing any other "whites"...actually, it is so remote here, the few other foreigners I do see are right here behind me right at this moment waiting to write to their loved ones too, all Volunteer Teacher's or Health Care Providers but, no obvious tourists here. The public transportation is very cheap considering you could get into an accident at any time the way they drive! The weather today is 36 degrees Celsius, remember, this is their DRY summer...the BEST weather I have ever experience, I couldn't have picked a better time of the year...also, the mosquitoes are not so bad where I am because of being further away from the Nile River and Victoria Lake. Also, I am up in altitude, more windy, therefore less mosquitoes and other wonderful critters! I also have a "guard" at night just outside my little residence, not because of physical threat BUT, to provide peace of mind although, some of my neighbours have told me this residence used to be a meeting place for witchcraft ceremony. No kidding. Well I do not believe in that stuff although I respect the fact that some individuals do...I certainly wasn't going to let my imagination run the show here! The owner and coordinator of the clinic is very protective, I am not to go out at night...not that I would want to anyway, neither am I to open the door except at 7:30pm every night I have "food" brought to me by one of the many children of Mr. Muzaale.

Since my arrival, I have assisted in the birth of one baby of which the first sound that came out of his mouth was: cough!cough!! Born with some kind of "flu" symptoms...already doomed with poor health, poor thing! The setting is as such: a tall wooden table with a very "black" foam on top, a plastic garbage bag over it, medical tools sterilized by the fire burning nearby over charcoal, and very courageous women, alone with no men to stand by them for support. Quite something to say the least...and, discouraging too in some ways, how are we going to treat these babies?

Tuesday AM, I wake up with smoke in the air and bits of ashes flying all over my clothes, my few dishes...it is like that every AM, as the whole village is burning charcoal to prepare meals. The kids gather around and wait till I am ready to step out and they "escort" me to the Clinic.

Today, it is an Outreach day...which means a team of us go out to very isolated areas to provide medical care. Those days are long, tiring and emotionally demanding. By 11:00am we are ready to hit the road! Only 3 of us: a lab-assistant, a nurse and me. We stop 3 small motorcycles on the side of the road, we load them up with tons of medical supplies, each one of us also has to ride behind the driver and hold, for example, bags of potatoes full of pills and bandages. For myself, I was sitting sideways of the motorbike trying to hold on to one of the coolers of which contains the most precious thing, "vaccines". They have to keep very cold and we only have a few hours to deliver and dispense of them before they are no longer effective. So we leave one by one, the driver knowing where our final destination is, as I just hold on tight. Absolutely no roads are accessible to the areas we are going to! We have to take "trails" for one hour and plus! Full of red dust, we drive through sugar cane fields first, so high, I cannot see anything but the very blue sky. Then, finally, we cross to a huge tea plantation, of which I can see we are going way up in the mountains! Some little villages, very poor, people stare and stop at the noise of a motor nearby...they shout "Basum-Basum"- a white stranger... By word of mouth, people know we are coming to help and those able to follow our trace by foot come to seek help..., we leave a trail behind us purposely, so most will follow to our end destination. Finally, we reach a stop. We stop, but we still have to carry coolers, bags, water, food, scale�.. with us having to walk a last 20 minutes or so before we reach a village at which they are expecting us! The young children help us with the heavy bags and put us in the right direction. Along the way up, a man calls to us from a hut. It is dark inside and it smells pretty bad inside. He has hurt his ankle a few days ago working and digging in the fields...he is in pain, unable to walk and has no money. We stop, ask questions, provide a medical examination on site, provide pain killers and antibiotics with counselling/support for his worries of not being able to provide for his family while his foot is hurting. We have to go...others are waiting. Once arrived at the village, we are very well greeted, everyone wanting to touch your hands/ mostly elders in that specific area, taking care of orphan children...we set up in a "HUT" and very quickly, a long line forms, where do all these people come from!!! One by one, we introduce ourselves, for myself, I also have to provide them with "health tips"-information in order to "prevent" many illnesses...so I talk for about 30 minutes about WATER-WASHING OF HANDS and NUTRITION. These people have no idea...they listen very carefully, it is all new to them and then, I let them ask questions. Afterwards I stay in the hut with my co-workers for 7 and 8 hours, until there is no one left or no more pills! Then we have to race back home with all our bags, through the field, before darkness hits! So much more to say, but this gives you a bit more of an idea of what I am up to! I am adjusting well, at times I miss home but the busy schedule keeps me on track...I must go now...will write next Sat. again...thanks for your support, much love, TINA XX

21 January 2006
Another very hot day, another challenging week. Earlier this week, our team visited another village in a secluded region North from Victoria Lake, Uganda. Two children with two different sets of parents specifically caught our attention...I called them up right away to assess the situation with them...the parents had been providing "medical care" for the children through the "Witchdoctor". The fact was, they were dying right in front of my eyes. I urged the parents to bring the children to the nearest hospital (apx.40kms) and explained clearly why, underlining the urgency of the situation. Both sets of parents didn't reply, they just stared at me without any clear facial expression on their face, it looked "neutral" to me although I could be wrong of course. We couldn't really do anything, it was beyond our capabilities. As soon as those parents left, I knew the children would be left to die at home, probably with the "Witchdoctor" on site. Dying of preventable and treatable disease if caught on time, MALARIA. Very frustrating, it was difficult later on to present a "happy" talk to the community after witnessing that. Yet, the next day, another page was turned as we went on to assist with others. The sun is very bright, the termites hills in the mountains are as high as I have ever seen them, reaching well over 12 feet in height they are very imposing and destroy much crops. Every morning I have fresh hot goat milk, I am getting used to it although I am not supposed to take my malaria pills with "milk products"! But, not having much choice, I go with the flow and am grateful for really not getting sick at all. Goats are everywhere!!! Nevermind dogs or cats, they are useless to them, at least a goat provides milk, meat and skin. Food, is anything that will keep their tummy heavy and feeling full for many hours, so many potatoes,starch,banana/matok/white rice. They have no concept of the importance of "healthy food". They have so many fruits and vegetables but do not include them much in their diets. Also, no GREENS! I miss that! No salads of sorts...now, I am talking about the very poor people of this nation, perhaps the "wealthier" have a better knowledge of the importance of diet in keeping healthy.

Anyway, last night I was woken up by a bat who got caught in my mosquito net! I am talking PAPA BAT! I screamed! These are not the smaller black ones but the big grey ones. Did it ever scare me...and on top of it, it happened twice...I would like to have a word with National Geography which always claimed, that bats can resonate vibes coming from obstacles in their path and therefore avoid them! Not MY bats! I didn't sleep the rest of the night and really, I was pissed off as I needed to go to the bathroom but, I felt "imprisoned" in my bed! How ridiculous this must sound to you! Well finally daylight, I had enough, packed a little bag and decided right after breakfast I am taking off to a hotel on one of the many Islands of Victoria Lake to "rest" and have a bit of a vacation overnight with "nothing" with "wings" around! But plans changed as they often do here. My mid-wife, Gertrude Doreen, is asking for help. An accident on the road, children on their bikes were badly hurt. We run to the site...it looked really bad and I will not go into details. A bloody mess, the adrenaline rush fills me, I am soaking wet providing emergency first aid till we can get a truck to stop on the side of the road to bring the children to a hospital, again, the situation was too grave for us to provide the care they needed with proper modern equipment/operation/stitches...those kids that got hurt are from my district of Bulumagi. No one will die, but, there will be much scars and rehabilitation needed, if they receive adequate care at the hospital!(head injury was involved). So you see, my plans to get away because of my bat situation disappeared right away when I was holding hands especially to the little girl whom really got bad injuries to the head...she didn't cry...and I thought, if she is so strong as to be able to survive this, I certainly can put up with my bats, so now, I will go back to the village and join my group for a laid back afternoon and put up with my situation. You all take care now, LOVE, Tina XX

28 January 2006
Saw someone at the clinic Wednesday...funny situation. You have to understand first, here, it is mostly "squat toilets", no toilet paper beside them so, you have to carry your own, otherwise, I suppose, the underwears will have to do! So this farmer in his fifties goes on to tell the mid-wife about his pain and aches...he is from a different region and only speaks "swahili", of which, I do not understand one word. She listens to his tale, while I observe his body language which, in itself, because he is so "physically descriptive", lets me guess where he is aching. He stood up, grabbed his bum and he jumped in the air with a horrified facial expression! Looked towards his back and wiggled his bum again! Well I figured he might be talking about hookworms or severe diarrhea which is quite common, in any case, something like that. But, I had it all wrong! My mid-wife finally translated and, I could tell by her stunned facial expression, she might believe the fellow's story. She went on to explain this man suffered from mild hemorrhoids...and he explained how he "contracted it"...he said about some 20 years ago, he had a friend whom had enough money to build a more "modern" house. One day, while visiting him, he asked if he could use the toilets. His friend obliged of course but also warned him, it was an "American" toilet and he would have to push a silver handle down...whatever, he thought. So he kinda sat on the toilet seat but nervous a bit and nothing suddenly wanting to come out, he decided he would push that "whatever" handle down. To his horror, a terrific sound and splash of water appeared, splashed his "butt" with it which instinctively made him sit upright and pull up his pants before he even got any chance to do anything! He never mentioned anything to his friend, but he swears, because of that water splashing on him from the american toilet, the very next day, he was "contaminated" with hemorrhoids, that's, 20 years ago! Well, you know, I had to laugh...what a fantastic story!! He was convinced he had been cursed by the American toilet. We had to provide some detailed, clear information on his mild condition, and clearly explain how it develops, why, prevention and treatments. In any case, another reflection on the wonderful, sometime very na�ve, mind of the people of this country. Even when I ask about their age, many do not know and refer to a historical or political event to which would then provide us with the approximate birth date!

I was informed just yesterday, that since my arrival, we have treated and seen over 500 patients, 153 known cases of HIV/AIDS included. That's a big number and gives you an idea of how much work is being done here. Next week, there is preparation for a big town meeting regarding the results of my visit and I will prepare to leave my village to enjoy some time "off", safaris and luxury of a nice little hotel in a complete different area, with hot water, a television with 2 channels and no bats! I see the women weaving beautiful baskets and African carpets of which I know, will be "gifts of gratefulness" when the day arrives of my departure among them. I will have been the very first "white-health care provider" in their region/community and because of wonderful/hard team work, we have accomplished a "healthier future" for all of them as, 1 week after my departure, a Canadian Doctor arrives on location for a month followed by a wonderful Nurse student for 6 months!! Consistency I hope has been established, wonderful. You all take care, gotta go! Love TINA XX

30 January 2006
I abruptly ended my last entry because of lack of time and won't be writing no more as my journey is soon coming to an end. If anyone would ask me - What did I learn from this experience? - I would have to pause and answer sincerely, "I do not quite know at this moment". Time will tell the consequences of this adventure, but I do know this. I have realized and accomplished another one of my many wishes. I feel very fortunate in regards to that. Someone asked me before my departure if I was ready for the project. I told him at that time, there was only one way to know if I was, by doing it. I did it and now I can say, yes, I was ready. I am also glad I wrote a short, but hopefully interesting journal to all of you, my closest friends as usually, I keep details private and get easily "tired" of hearing myself going over the same stories. This way, I won't have to spend endless conversations trying to portray my trip, you will all know!...now, you all simply have to see some of the very few photos I have!

For a last episode of this chapter, I will say thank you again for reading me, keep in touch, sending you wishes of Good Health, Much Laughter and Achievements for 2006 the year of the Dog...

Weebale - Tina.