TIA This is Africa!
This will be the new code for I DON'T GET IT. Some things I will still have to learn and the longer I am here the more I will understand but right now I am a little short on understanding of class schedules. But first our health. We both are 25-30 pounds lighter depends on the scale and the day. After the N ALL VOL and the long arduous ride back home Thursday, I noticed a tenderness in my R side, Friday it was worse and I felt a thickening and lump that was really tender with touch and certain movements. I called our Peace Corp Medical who are super and went to see a local Dr. who ordered lab to see if I had some problem with my liver. Tests come back in 3 days and the pain increased but nothing else. Because I have such good friends in the bible study one is a nurse here, one is a midwife using natural medications for 20 years, and the nurse has her daughter a DR from the UK visiting now. We consulted and looked at tropical med books and decided I may have a liver abscess from amoebic dysentery. The amoeba will live in your bowel but not cause a problem as it migrates to the live and your body walls it off like a pearl of pus as long as it doesn't rupture you are ok. So, Sunday after church, the ministers prayed over me and today a return appointment at the Dr. and a scan. Lab came back neg and scan said my insides looked good too. But the lump and pain remain so we will wait and see if anything new develops in the next 3 days. So for $30US I had all that done . The ultra sound did say I was full of hot air...I know that with all the beans eaten here all the mundu's (whites) are. So with all the confirming reassurance I am feeling better already. If not, Peace Corp and the high tech equipment are just a plane ride away in Kampala. If peace corp sends a driver to get me fuel here is expensive and it would be a 4 way trip to get me and take me home so the plane is cheaper and takes 45 minutes rather then 8 awful hours on a plastic seat with sun shining on you and a sick child close to you and maybe a chicken under the seat depending on the bus...
Classes now, we have students that pay 300,000UGS or $127.65 a semester for school fees plus bring a bunch of supplies for the school use, which is about another 300,000UGS. Some kids have only one parent who is a peasant and they work at whatever they can but they can't make the fees so they have to quite before finishing or delay coming back. This year I have said there are 200 in the new class and 7 teachers and a couple part time ones. The computer lab has 20 computers so I divided the class in to 9 groups with times for them and one class to be announced. Well, it seems one of the part time teachers who is the real computer teacher, has another job as a nurse for Dr Without Borders (MSF) so that is his primary job and the computer class is after his work hours. On Friday he didn't show up for his 5pm and Tuesday he didn't show up for the 5 or 6 pm class. I have made a big deal to the kids about keeping time. I told them if they are not at the class by 5 after the door is closed and you miss. Some of them have tried me on it and out they go and the rest of the kids join me in saying “goodbye”. They get a kick out of that. So what do you do when people who are college teachers don't show up for the class? Nothing apparently. The librarian is MIA too, as he is “taking classes” but no one seems to know when or where the classes are. The reason I am given for his retaining his position is because the previous principal hired him (Nepotism) and if he were fired (this is not new behavior) the old principal would say we did not respect her appointment and would shame the current principal so who looses? But TIA and I am learning. Tomorrow I will find the librarian and get a schedule for his hours and make random assignments from books only the library carries (1995 editions) so he will need to be in the room, maybe or be able to document his hours for review... Hope it improves his attendance. Did I mention his arrogance? That is what really grates me, next week it will be something new... Right now I think if I am going to do ward rounds that I need a notebook computer so as the students have questions I can answer right away rather then try and find it in a library book that I am now keeping in my office. I hate to keep my laptop in the office as I don't want to look rich and then the perception is we are able to help with school fees. We have much need. Many children are living with only one parent as the other is “late” and the family is living hand to mouth and the employment rate is bad. The kids seem interested in learning and the ward experience is the best place to take advantage of that. So I am putting out a call for a used notebook that the battery works on so I can haul it to ward rounds. There are no books on any of the wards except the ones funded by MSF and those are the TB ward MTCT mother to child transmission ward and nutrition (better known as malnutrition ward).
I have enclosed a picture of our new charcoal stove that we make a double boiler pan set up for and can now bake. Yesterday was our test run and the bread burnt really well in it. Today we will watch closer. Some things are fun learning about the simple technology and using it, and other things are hard. But TIA Love from the other side of the world where you are invited to come share the experience. Marc
