My Travel to South Africa

1st HTI Level 1 Class in Uganda Utukula Lion Reserve Bengal Tiger

Dear Everyone,

Well, I had the opportunity to be able to travel to Johannesburg, South Africa on March 15th on medevac business. I flew Kenya Airways from Entebbe to Nairobi (1 hour 10 min flight), then from Nairobi to Johannesburg (4 hours 10 min flight). Not sure how long I will be here, however my airline ticket is for 2 weeks, which may or may not change on either side. I had some down time during my travels, so let me tell you what I did!

Prior to boarding the plane in Entebbe, I was in Kampala and met this women who was a retired teacher from Chicago. She was traveling by herself and had gone to Kenya and Tanzania and now was exploring Uganda. I really could not believe all she had accomplished by herself! She spent 2 weeks in each place and then she was meeting up with a church group and continuing with them. She actually was scouting out areas and looking for an NGO to work with for 1 year. I thought that was amazing because you really have to know local people to get things accomplished here.

Not like the airlines in the states...we got breakfast and lunch on the plane...without fees! When I arrived in Johannesburg I had to change US dollars into Rand. It is 1 US dollar/6.700 Rand. Then I was picked up at the airport by the PC vehicle and taken to the Peace Corps office in Pretoria, the PC Medical Headquarters for all of Africa. Pretoria is the capital of South Africa and the accommodations are really nice. South Africa is nothing like Uganda! It is built up and has some of the state of the art hospitals, alot like the US hospitals. Well, the first Heart Transplant was done in SA! Anyway, you can buy just about anything you want in South Africa at reasonable prices. Basically, I would compare it to Washington, DC in the US.

During some of the downtime between my test, I am having FUN!!!! It is like I am back in the states with everything! Even food! However, the different is in the medical care. Here you do not wait for any test, you get it that day and the results that day; in fact they give the results within 30 minutes of your scan/MRI etc. to the patient. Which is Great! America could learn from SA on health care, also, there really is no waiting at MD offices.

So while we were in the process of decisions, I went to the Opera and saw “Carmen,” and that really was a great production! I went to the Lion Reserve, “Utukula,” with 4 of the other PCVs that were Medevac’d from Zambia, Rwanda, Morocco and Swaziland. It was great, You can pet lion baby cubs, feed them with a bottle...I Loved it! I also petted a grown Cheetah! There were Lions, tigers, bengal tigers and white lions all there it was great. Some of you said when I put pictures up on facebook that I had on lipstick. Yes, I still wear lipstick, even in Uganda because that is the best thing that protects your lips! Also, yes, while I was here in South Africa I did do my hair! Also, another question I got on facebook was the houses in Uganda, where they all made of concrete? The majority of homes are huts, but at the Health Center and the Staff quarters they are a type of concrete, but not the concrete we have in the US. It still burns if the fires come up, but less likely and we have tin roofs.

I want to do a few more things while I am here in South Africa before going back to Uganda, like go see a Professional Soccer or Rugby game here at the stadium, go to the Museum in Jo’burg, and go on a safari. Don’t know if I can do all that, because per diem is not much and I can not use shillings here or exchange them...which is strange. Money is all in Rand.

I will also put some pictures on facebook when I went to the Entebbe zoo in Uganda. I was there for a Girls and Boys Camp meeting in February...you will even see me on a Camel!

Updated April 8, 2011

I really can not wait to get back to Uganda, because in April I start teaching Basic Life Skills to the Iceme Secondary girls school 2 x’s per week, about 120 girls. Also, I start my two support groups for War Victims and HIV/AIDS patients and I will be going out into the community more for HIV testing and counseling...so I really want to get back. In February and in March, I taught 2 Healing Touch International Level 1 classes to the staff in Iceme and want to also start a practice group. I am working on the Girls Camp and the Boy’s Camp committees (2 separate camps) for youth development and empowerment. Also, we are starting a Peace Camp in the North, which I am on. I was suppose to teach the new group of volunteers that came in February about Depression on April 4th, but I did not get back. I also missed the PC 50th Anniversary celebration on April 1st. But, I have alot in the works that I want to get back to work on. However, some of the work I am able to do via email which is great. I had my surgery on April 5th, so I should be getting back to Iceme, Uganda after recovering in about 2 or 3 weeks.

Where I am staying at the “Rose” is absolutely gorgeous!, it has a pool, beautiful lush greenery, my own room with this large old fashion time tub, electricity, running water of course with a sink and toilet! We get this magnificence breakfast. I am getting spoiled! The streets look like a High End street in the states. Trees line the streets and they overlap into the middle. I am told that in May the trees are all bloomed with purple flowers and they say it is breathtaking. It is really beautiful and lush even now without the blooms. PC has all the PCVs from all over Africa that are Medevec’d staying at “The Rose” guesthouse. I will put pictures up on facebook as soon as I can. So I get to meet volunteers and find out about their countries PC policies, which are different in each country depending on the Country Director and Staff. Anyway, just wanted to touch base with you all and let you know I am in Great hands here and really in a great place!

Stay safe and Take Care!

Love & Light,
Mari

Uganda Presidential Elections

Hello, February has been quite a month! First I want to wish everyone a Happy Valentine's Day and St. Patrick's Day!!! I started off the month of February getting back into my routine. When I arrived home from IST in January my home had about an inch of dust everywhere and that took me a while to clean it up. We were told at IST that we were expected to have the a drill of the emergency activation plan the first of February and that one region would actually evacuate during the drill. We had the drill the end of January and the first of February. My region did not have to evacute and the drill went well as planned. So we were on Standfast in an alert situation from February 11th to the 25th. Elections were held on February 18th. During elections all text and some phone communication was cut off, but not much violence. The opinion poll suggested that President Museveni was the favourite candidate with Kizza Besigye in second. Ugandans felt like they could not talk reely about politics. Museveni hired alot of Police to cover the elections. TNS Research International, a polling firm with vast local and international experience did a survey and 65% stated that they always and often have to be careful about what they say about politics. The fear factor is has spread across all four regions of the country but the highest in the central region. 65% say they fear becoming victims of political violence or intimidation. The fear was highest in northern Ugand, which is only emerging from two decades of the LRA insurgency, and was lowest in Western Uganda. What was interesting was that after all the voting...the votes were counted right at the polling stations and the totals were then called in. However, some of the polling stations could not communicate there scores because the phones were blocked. So they said that President Museveni had the majority of votes and won, until they found out about Kizza Besigye and the polls that finally reported when the lines were opened back up. Then Kizza Besigye had the most votes, so now it has to be decided in the court system. The county is really on hold right now until the courts make a decision. Depending on the decision, we may or may not have violence. It is said that Museveni has 45% of the votes and Besigye has 47% of the votes. So maybe in a year when it is finally heard in court, we will find out. Until then Museveni will be President. But elections were very interesting to be present for! So we were on Standfast for 2 weeks, which meant that we were not allowed to leave our sites and travel. But right before standfast, the volunteers in the North went to Loro to meet up with other volunteers for an overnight visit. Don't know what happened to me, but I got a stomach virus or something and laid on the sofa all night..Oh the joys of Life! I have been very busy working on the action plan at Iceme. I was told during IST that my Supervisor was going to be transferred to a Health Center IV outside of Kampala and that I will be getting a new Supervisor. Sr. Gretrude will be missed alot, she pretty much ran Iceme Health Center III. Before she left I was able to teach 2 classes at the HC to the staff in Healing Touch International Level 1 classes! The first for Northern Africa and the first in Uganda! They LOVED learning Healing Touch and I think that they will really use it frequently. I want to Thank Healing Touch International for all their support, energy and prayers in getting HTI started in Uganda. South Africa has taught alot of people already in Healing Touch International. This is going to be great for the staff, they will be able to assist with pain management as well as many other problems. I also taught a Basic Life Skills class at Iceme Secondary Girls School with Thomas on STD's. There was about 100 plus girls and they were all so interested in the power point. I know that they got alot out of that class. Later in March I will be going to Entebbe for a meeting to organize a Boy's Camp and a Girl's Camp. We are also organizing a Peace Camp in the North, which I will go to Gulu for. I am still teaching basic computer skills to some of the staff at Iceme. I have set up a date for the War and HIV/AIDS support groups and Sr. announce it at the Church. That is the main communication for the community. I will start that the first of April. I have worked really hard cleaning the room I will be using for my office and the support groups and I am having the carpenter make a desk for me. Also, I met up with one of the community workers and we have set up times to go out into the community for HIV testing and counseling. So everything is in the planning stages, so I am excited to get started with alot of the projects. Well, I think that I have updated you in all I know so far and hopefully I will be able to upload pictures soon. Take Care and Stay Safe, Love & Light, Mari