CAMERAS, PICTURES, ETC...

I have added a new link to the blog that will show you a few pictures of life here. It takes a VERY LONG TIME to upload pictures here so I won't be adding them as often as I had hoped.

I brought a camera with me but it was taken somewhere between Europe and Nairobi. Sam, the lovely man, sent me his camera to use while I'm here. It took quite awhile and a substantial bribe to get the camera but I've had it now for a few weeks and it's awesome.

There is another link to the Bead for Life website, such a cool organization. And the jewelry...

The kids are on school holidays now until the end of May. I'm starting my volunteering with Bead for Life in May, so I'm footloose and fancyfree until then. I visited Pelagia this morning and she has been given blood and is being released today. This is very good news. Her mother has been staying with her and is so happy but Pelagia is still pretty down. It's so clear to me that more than physical healing has to take place. I visited this place yesterday called Reach Out. It's a large organization in Kampala that assists people living with HIV/AIDS. It's awesome, super organized and well-run. They take a holistic approach to patient care, meaning they attempt to heal them mind, body and soul. They give them medical treatment, needed medications...then they offer them literacy classes, tailoring classes, home visiting, volunteer positions, loans, etc... Approximately 60% of the people working at Reach Out are past clients, living positively. When Pelagia gets stronger, I'm going to take her to Reach Out so she can see how many young people just like her, are living with this disease, getting married, having babies, working. It's such a hopeful place.

Gavah's wife Rosemary works at Reach Out. These two people amaze me. They have been HIV positive since the early 90's, have all the reasons in the world to be bitter but they are two HAPPY people, always smiling and doing good things for other people. Maybe that's part of the reason they're so happy. Gavah had his blood tested and got the results yesterday. It turns out that his CD4 count is below 200 and he will need to start taking ARV's. He actually started yesterday. I guess it's pretty rough when a person starts on them-they're kind of intense medications. I don't really know why I'm writing this...this is just life here. Gavah is one of those people that inspire amazing quotes-he works from sun-up until sundown and beyond. He impacts the lives of so many people. He signs his letters "yours in the hope of living longer and helping others to do the same." Every letter.

Depending upon my mood and how bad my diarrhea/constipation is that day (is that too much information?), Uganda is either a hopeful place full of potential or a terribly corrupt, desperate nation. Today it's a hopeful place and I feel the potential pulling at me...asking me what am I going to do to help the people here. I hate the pressure of thinking I need to DO SOMETHING here. And of course my ego says it better be SOMETHING BIG. I wish I could let all that go and just be here. How nice it would be...to just accept and love my own mediocrity. It would also be nice to realize somewhere deep inside of me, that it really isn't even all about me anyways.

Right, that's enough out of me. I think I'm going to go eat some ice cream.