Jambo - Greetings from Iganga!

The Vassar Uganda Project is again working in Uganda, this time in the district of Iganga, located on the road between Kampala and the Kenya border. The country is beautiful - lush and green, full of mango groves, jack fruit trees, and all kinds of birds and other vegetation. As white people, we are known as "mzungu", "mutesi", "naigga", and "nangobi." For the most part, people have been very friendly. We arrived last Friday, and have been hard at work laying the ground work to help the people of Iganga in their efforts to gain greater health and vitality.

Saturday and Sunday we joined a Uganda Village Project Volunteer, David, with the Goats for Widows Program. Traveling first by motor cycle and then by bike deep into the rural villages, we were able to see the nutrition-promoting and income-producing results of 12 goats that were given to widowed women and their families in September 2007. Having seen how effective the program was, and recalling our past trip's success in funding a goat farm for the Children's Village Orphanage in Kaberamaido, we will be partnering with GFW to fund the veterinary upkeep and more goats for more widows.

We were particularly touched by one family we met in particular. Approximately 2 months after the family received the goat, the mother died, leaving four children orphaned. While they were supposed to be looked after by an uncle, he has been away working and not seen since May. They are currently living on their own, trying to raise each other. We are planning not only on providing health, first aid, and Malaria education, but also animal care training, mosquito nets, and chickens to help them improve their ability to sustain themselves.

Yesterday, we were introduced to WACA (Women and Children Alliance), an orphanage and school in Namangulwe. Hannah, a PEACE Corp volunteer at WACA, has 55 community health workers who we will be training in CPR and first aid. A former WACA orphan, Tito is now a grown man who has returned to WACA in order to help with the work. Also a scout master in Iganga, Tito thought that the First Aid and CPR education courses would be very helpful for scout leaders. He is hoping to help us arrange a training session for the leaders, and maybe the boy scouts, at the National Scouting Camp held in Kampala on the 13th of August.

This morning, we had the privilege of meeting Rogers Mandu with the Igana Red Cross Society. In conjunction with their PHIRST program, teaching personal hygeine and sanitation to community leaders in rural villages, we will be teaching First AID and CPR classes to both PHIRST trainers and participants.

This afternoon, we will be meeting with Dr. Wyswa from the District Health Office, who will help us find the most sustainable way to set up the Emergency Medical Services Program that we will begin training for the beginning of next week with community health workers, village pharmacy technicians, and other people within the villages who frequently act as health correspondents.

Updates to follow!