This week has been a week of
learning, eye-opening experiences, great service and amazing inspiring people.
Just to give everyone an update on what I have been up to this week I will give
you all a day-to-day run down on what has been going on.
To start off, Monday we had a meeting
with Moses and the Nabuti village I am working with to talk about how we are
going to execute our plans of improving their education systems and
implementing business and women empowerment classes into their community. It went
well so we are currently working on the curriculums for those classes and
anxious to get those started hopefully next week! Tuesday I spent the day
gathering materials and supplies for a project that I am heading up with a few
others called Musana. Musana jewelry is a local jewelry company that a HELP
volunteer started in 2009 that employs 7 of the most amazing women from Lugazi.
We are making them a store and planning a grand opening where we will be
inviting the town members and local leaders to stop by and see their work. We
are reallllyyy excited about it! Wednesday we visited a local hospital and got
the chance to spend some time with some HIV positive women who have joined
together to stand as a united front comforting HIV positive people and
counseling with them about their lives and situations. It was truly one of the
most humbling inspiring things watching these women talk. When they talk it
makes you realize that the things that seem like “big problems” to us are
absolutely NOTHING. We also had the chance to walk around that hospital and see
women who had just given birth, chat with them and hear their stories. (I will
NEVER complain when I am in the hospital again after seeing this hospital and
where these people give birth, have surgery and stay while they are sick.) After
the hospital we had the chance to go to a beautiful village about an hour and a
half away to do a public health out reach. Basically what that means is we go
and with the help of our partners educate people on HIV, AIDS, sanitation, hand
out condoms and do tons of other really necessary things. Thursday we went and
observed schools in the Nabuti village to see where we can make improvements. Friday
we had one of the most amazing health clinics I have ever been to in my life.
We met with a group called the Naguru Teenage Center and we talked about
African culture, puberty, sexually transmitted diseases, reproductive health
and so much more. It was amazing and eye opening to hear about the crazy things
these children go through and to see the strength these young children have. LASTLY,
yesterday we went to Kampala, the capital of Uganda, and worked at a HELP
sponsored dental and health camp. I was able to test people for HIV, literally
prick them and wait for their results. It was super sad to see people test
positive but also really neat seeing people getting tested and people
interested in helping themselves.
So
with that all said, this week has been busy but AMAZING! The people here are so
intelligent, hard working and beautiful. I love how they have nothing but rise
above all odds and become these strong people, full of life and love. I have
yet to meet someone who is not interested in hearing about my life and talking
to me about theirs when we are sitting next to each other on a taxi or meet at
the market or at a project. I am LOVING my time here and cannot believe how
fast it is going by. Less than three weeks from today I will be home and it is
starting to make me sad but I am sooo grateful for the time I have had here.
These people are definitely changing me so my hope is that I can give a
little bit back to them, and help them a little bit more over the next two and a half
weeks before my time is up here!
Hope
all is well in America though. Love and miss everyone!
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