Bumpy ride round Uganda and Tanzania

After Christmas we left for a 10 week, 10,000 kilometre drive round Uganda and Tanzania. Details of this trip can be found on www.rupnannie2@blogspot.com

Farewell to Kagondo

After 14 months at Kagondo Hospital it is time to move on. We have really enjoyed our time here but we need to close this chapter and start a new one.



First we had a departmental farewell with Sr Immaculata and Godi from CTC and Oliva, Winifreda, Sr Renata and Placidia from RCH. Sr Pascascia came as well with Sr Theo John, Matron. Dr Felix also came to say goodbye. We had a delicious cake baked by RCH staff.

Next week was the Hospital Christmas party and we were put on the top table. We were dressed up in shirts given to us by Placidia and Ladislaus and very smart we were too!
Of course nice things were said and we replied and it was a fitting goodbye.
Christian(his photos), Gabo and Rosa had just arived from Holland as final year students on elective and were introduced to Tanzanian ways.



And so farewell Kagondo Hospital and all who work here.
We have made a bit of a difference and things will continue with a more solid base.
We have been touched by the hard work, patience and friendship of the people we have been working with.
It is time to move on but we will miss them.

World AIDS Day at Izigo

World Aids Day, 1st December.....we were delighted that someone organised an event about HIV/AIDS and invited us to go to do the testing.
It turned out to be a big affair, with canopied cover complete with frills for the dignitaries, music (very loud) dancing and drama, soccer...and...TESTING! The whole day dedicated to UKIMWI/VVU.
We, the invited workers (6 from Kagondo) were well fed (twice!) and watered before we set to work. It was a most successful day.





Our local HIV+ve group doing some drama



'Street Theatre'


Dancing for the VIPs




Testing in a hot tent.... they came and they came.....we tested >180 people that day, including many men which was excellent. And happily, a low prevalence rate of about 2%.


A long day over..........
They stopped coming at 5.30pm when the football match started!

Teaching the teachers

After a long period of planning, punctuated by frustrating episodes concerned with funding, we managed to hold our seminar for Primary and Secondary school teachers in our catchment aea. Everyone whom we invited came plus a few others. They were treated to several sessions on HIV: transmission, progress, prevention and treatment and prognosis, conducted by my excellent colleagues Oliva, Plasidia and Winifrida. Lamek, one of our Peer Educators, also gave a talk on Living with HIV. I was the organiser. (Although I was called upon to give advice at the condom session...)

Winifreda talking about prevention of mother to child transmission and the relevance of CD4counts (L), and Plasidia talking on the importance of prevention of transmission.

A moment of levity arose at the condom demonstration, as we couldnt find a suitable prosthesis...so Winifrida popped out to the banana plantation and picked one off a tree....only trouble being that it was a (very) small banana! Well, she said, it was better than nothing!! Much ribaldry, as the otherwise serious teachers fell about crying with laughter.

Oliva talking about stigma and testing, as well as gender issues (which are included in any seminar). Wini, Lamek, Oliva and Plasi after a good days work. (R)

It was a vey popular event, with extremely positive feedback, demanding more sessions such as this. There was a lot of interested participation and questions during the presentations which my colleagues handled brilliantly. The participants all had "chai and bites" as well as a good lunch and a per diem, see below. This is clearly an incentive. However, many had to walk to get to the Seminar, arising before sunrise to walk the 5 miles or so and faced a similar walk home, others had to pay for transport which is expensive here. That they all came was a good sign and we hope they will go back to spread what they learned at school, to their colleagues and friends and families. They were all given an excellent teaching aid complied by our VSO colleague, Jonathan Coolidge; a book giving good teaching ideas designed to be incorporated into the terms' teaching.

Childrens Day

Once a month we hold a day when we recall all HIV positive children (under 16) for their ART. It is a fun day but probably the saddest day of the month for us. The children, however, had a good cheerful day.

Our thanks to Hilary, who brought out the crayons and paper from UK...very timely and hugely popular. We are now making sure there will be a regular supply of drawing materials for them.

Sister Immaculata and Rupert admiring the artwork

A benchful of Trouble!

Godiliva, CTC nurse and Adventina, a Peer Educator pouring chai

Chai and smiles.They (and we) were so proud of their work.

By holding this event monthly, we hope that the children and mothers will get to know eachother and so give shared support in the future. As the children grow older, they will hopefully keep in touch and provide support for eachother. All the older children (over 9yrs) came to the clinic on their own, unaccompanied by an adult, some walking a couple of miles in bare feet, in the rain. And of course, they had to walk back. But the rain had stopped and they had a cup of hot sweet chai in their tums.

Visiting the Kasoba family

Our neighbours, the Kasobas, had often invited us to see their home they are building on their shamba near Izimbia, 20k away. So, one Saturday morning we set out in our best bibs and tuckers, lunch packed in the boot, umbrellas handy.

First stop to TaKasobas family home where we met his aunt (86) his brother and sister-in-law and lots of children....

Then on to his home in his shamba. Park the car, greet the priest at the church, view the church. Then a 20 min walk through the bananas, stopping and greeting neighbours on the way. (This was as much to keep us out of the house whilst lunch was prepared, I think)

At his home we met neighbours, brother and sister-in-law (another lot) children and a dog.

TaKasoba, MaJonesia,me.(L) Everyone and the dog. (R) R. with TaKasoba and his brother (bottom)

We had a delicious swahili lunch which included bananas, and were offered the local "wine" made from....yes...bananas. (Not very strong, tasted like rough scrumpy, but weaker.) Then talk turned to homemade Konyagi (spirit) and we were invited to see the local still, belonging to the neighbour with the dog.

Ta Kasobas brother and his wife.

Take a 44 gallon drum, banana wine, a fire, bamboo poles, banana twine, a few bottles in a stream and Kumbe! You have konyagi.

Gloria, who does everything so cheerfully!

Back through the banana plantations, sun shining now. Only two stops on the way home, and we returned tired but happy ...and full! We were given a gift as thanks. Guess what it was.