Tag Archive: malaria

Peace Corps Uganda Rocked It at the Blue House Camp- Part 1

I don’t know how our cohort nick-named itself “Cohort Best” rather than a more mundane title like Education Cohort 3. I thought maybe it was Becky, who loves Superlatives, but she credits Katy J.. Anyway, we were a pretty veteran crew who came to Kazo Uganda and put on a camp for the Blue House girls orphanage on a recent Saturday.  I had written about the Blue House here...That photo above is another frame-able.  It belongs in a brochure.

We started proceedings with a welcome and introductions and a little talk I give to schools about trying your best and always being honest

We ended my little portion with an energizer called “Rainstorm”

Mackenzie led a session for the whole camp, including staff on Nutrition

“Now, is this a healthy plate?”

Lillian on the left is a bright leader, but that is a lot of butter!

What’s Dave looking for?

Mackenzie. 24, a Health Volunteer, has roots in both Chicago and Iowa. She is a graduate of the University of Iowa, double majoring in Political Science and International Studies. She studied in Tanzania for a year. After service, she intends to obtain a Master’s Degree in Public Health. I believe she has been accepted by eleven schools so far. Hard choice coming up.

We all went outside and Scott led a variation of Simon Says.

The older girls went to the sewing room, where Kelly, assisted by David, learned to sew RUMPs

Kelly, 25, a Health volunteer, is from Indiana PA. and has a degree in French from the University of Pittsburgh. After her service, she will attend nursing school, and eventually would like to work for the French organization, Medicens sans Frontiers (Doctors without Borders). If you follow the news, you know that will take courage

On the left is the house mother, Ziporah Matene

…from the rafters?


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Karen gives it a shot

Doin’ the RUMPs shuffle

Well done!

Meanwhile, the Primary age girls learn about washing their hands properly

Getting it right

Only the roof of the Blue House is blue. We were lucky to have great weather during our visit, which is supposed to be the beginning of rainy season, but now those permagardens need to get wet!

After Scott observed many of the girls did not use their mosquito nets properly,, they segued into a session on why nets are important. Scott had a bad case of malaria last year.

Mosquito tag! A couple of kids with cardboard mosquitoes try to ‘infect’ their mates with malaria. Scott and Mackenzie make a safe haven ‘net’. in the background.

If you get malaria, you need a doctor to get back in the game.

My turn as mosquito was exhausting! Those kids can turn on a dime. I eventually adopted the lion hunting strategy and let another mosquito drive a victim towards me.

 The district probation officer, Fortunate Abaho, gave an inspirational talk.

Fortunate had never heard of the Peace Corps so Karen recruited Mackenzie to explain how during training, you learn how to make those duck shadows..

Yum! Part two of the camp is in the next post!

 

 

GMOs in Uganda?

I saw an article recently in the local paper urging Uganda to adopt Genetically Modified (GMO). Crops. I recall that mandatory labeling of GMO was a recent controversial Colorado ballot issue. It has seemed to me that proactively labeling export crops from Uganda as “Non-GMO” might be a marketing advantage. I emailed my hero Peter Jensen, who teaches perma-gardening to Peace Corps volunteers all over the world. I wanted to know his views, which I reprint with his permission.

GMO crops. Yes – it would be an advantage to Uganda to market the hell out of the fact that field crops from Uganda are non-GMO! Especially as any markets for Ugandan crops are most likely European. Nearly every (could be all) European nations have declared they will not import GMO crops.

Personally, I weigh in on the ‘against GMO’ side of things. Partly from the perspective that we really don’t know the long term health effects of eating maize infused with the genes of soil bacterium that works to rot the guts out of the army worms and other caterpillars that attack maize. Scientists have found that rats eating GMO sweet corn did indeed develop stomach ulcers and even cancer. That makes me turn my head a bit.

I mostly come down against GMO because it is a bandaid solution. We don’t need drought tolerant crops – we need drought tolerant soil. But I can get away with this because I operate on the small potatoes scale of things and preach the ‘Small is Bountiful’ mantra of the acre or less farmers of the world. I can understand the push to reach those 10+ acre commercial growers who honestly can’t double dig…but they could use better non-till/cover crop intensive systems that would do much the same.

That’s just my initial take on your question. Feel free to bounce other thoughts at me.

Several effective herbal medicines are cialis order available in the market. There are different ways to accomplish this, levitra prices as well as benefit from a glowing and youthful looking skin. Online service provider offer a plenty of benefits like free delivery, discounted prices, cheap cialis online on-time delivery, and other purchase advantages. Usually psychosexual therapy is advised for women to overcome the buy canada viagra effects of hypoactive sexual desire disorder. I would add that GMO or not, Uganda farmers need to improve their post-harvest handling of crops before they can even generate an excess of crops to export. I often see crops drying out without being on a tarp, and improper storage methods.

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Rainy season is starting and last night was the biggest rainstorm since I came to Uganda. It wrecked the ATEFO sign in front of our office.

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Azedy Jr. had to come home from boarding school for the second time in two weeks due to malaria. You occasionally see people around town with the IV stub bandaged to their arm.

1/2 Full

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Ugandan dawn over the pitch. There are up to 25 players in my morning workouts, so the coach splits us into two groups for the drills and exercises. The other group wore the fluorescent green bibs.

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I followed these two cute kids the other day…

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Hump day It’s hard to believe in some ways, but Friday, July 15, was Hump Day. I have been in Uganda for 13 ½ months, and 13 ½ months remain in my service. They always say the process of integration and adjustment can take a year. I am hopeful I can make a better and more lasting impact on my community before I leave. It’s hard to appreciate changes I might be influencing on the farmers’ customary sustenance-only approach, but I will continue to monitor this. You hope to change the behavior of early-adapters, show success, and then the rest of the village will buy in. The grant I was awarded to teach sack gardens is small, and the Peace Corps says I can’t get another grant until that money is consumed (i.e. construct 19-20 sack gardens, plus evaluations of their adaptation by the villages).
In the meantime, I hope to help the Bugiri Rotary Club achieve at least one major project. The Bugiri community has so many needs, and the Club needs to tap into Rotary International Foundation funding. It must develop international partnerships with other Clubs. There is a bit a stumbling, as this new club finds its way.

Dizzy in the head…In an effort to learn why I have occasional spells of dizziness, I’ve had occasion to go to Kampala twice in recent weeks for further tests, including ultrasound scans of my thyroid, an MRI of my brain, and seeing two outside specialists. The Peace Corps Medical Office is top notch, and very aggressive in trying to figure this out. The consensus conclusion is that I have Benign Positional Vertigo. In other words, none of the scans showed anything scary, and it’s probably not harmful. It’s just something I have to get used to. In fact, I do think it is better, with less frequent episodes.

Aruna update While I was in Kampala last week, I was pleased to spend time with my friend Aruna, one of the Lost Boys of Sudan, whose story I told over a year ago, and whose refugee camp we recently visited. Aruna had just returned from his home in Portland Maine, where he got surgery for a torn MCL. He injured it on a four hour bicycle ride. He was gone for nearly the 45 day maximum time you are allowed to recuperate before Peace Corps “Early Terminates” you.
In the two years preceding the Peace Corps, Aruna sent his earnings to South Sudan to pay for building a new home for his parents in their family’s village. The home had been destroyed in fighting when Aruna was child, leading to his epic tale of survival with his brothers, eventually walking to Uganda where he lived in a camp until being relocated to Portland. South Sudan is on the brink of civil war again. As I write this, there is a fragile cease fire. Uganda has evacuated its citizens, and tens of thousands of new refugees have crossed the northern border of Uganda. Unfortunately, while Aruna was in Portland, there was fighting in his family’s village again, and the new house was heavily damaged. His parents were temporarily relocated to yet another camp, but now have returned to the village, which is now under control of the South Sudanese army. They think they can repair the house. A brother who did not relocate to Portland is available to assist them. Aruna says it was probably for the best he was back in Maine while this was happening. He would have been tempted to join the fighting “now that I am not a child”. But as I quizzed him with my limited understanding of the situation, he admitted he wasn’t sure which side he would join. Probably determined by clan or tribe, I suppose.

Malaria update- In the last few weeks, Matthews, and three of the kids (one came home from school) that live on my compound got malaria. It is so common for everyone. I switched meds as part of my anti-dizziness regimen.  So far, half way through service, no malaria, although I wonder what the drugs are doing to my liver as they kill the parasites. I worry more about getting hit by a boda boda.

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Refuse burning day in my neighborhood. Gag.

ED is characterized by the inability to maintain erection. purchase levitra More viagra prices check that storefront so, the purpose of a distance learning M. So the victims of more acquisition de viagra matured age and the persons whose body capacity reached to lower degree due to the attack of some physical disorders can consume this lowest measure to get themselves free from impotency. If these infections are not thoroughly unica-web.com purchase cialis online cured, the infections will develop chronic. Al Jazeera came to Bukooli College- Last week, the Educate Club from Bukooli College was visited by a film crew doing a series on innovative education. The series will be shown on Al Jazeera.  The main focus was on the Reusable Menstrual Pads (RUMPS) that they make as an Income Generating Activity. This is also a big thing for Heath PCVs and I promise a future post on it. A representative form the Educate Club’s main offices in Kampala, Rachel is a recent graduate from the University of Denver School of International Studies. Always good to meet a fellow D.U. alum.

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Heh- they interrupted a class so they could interview the Educate Club’s patron Martin (my adult from Youth Technical Training) with a class in the background. D.U. grad Rachel holds the mic.

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The film crew learns about RUMPS

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Sign on a tree at Bukooli College. Would this sign be posted in an American High School?

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I was happy to find a great Mexican restaurant, Que Pasa, near my hostel in Kampala. It had been a long time since I had Mexican food, and this place would fit right in at Capital Hill or Boulder. It is owned by an Australian!

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A touch of my past: ReMax in Uganda! Jan was a ReMax broker for 15 years before she was a nurse.

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A very pregnant lady in one of my villages.

 

 

Red Mosquito II

Today is World Malaria Day. Malaria is a preventable life-threatening disease. Mosquitoes, the source of this disease, is the deadliest animal on earth to humans, surpassing other humans.BiggestKillers_final_v8_no-logo Per Wikipedia, Malaria causes symptoms that typically include fever, fatigue, vomiting, and headaches. In severe cases it can cause yellow skin, seizures, coma, or death. Symptoms usually begin ten to fifteen days after being bitten. If not properly treated, people may have recurrences of the disease months later. In those who have recently survived an infection, reinfection usually causes milder symptoms. This partial resistance disappears over months to years if the person has no continuing exposure to malaria. Most adults I have met have had malaria 20-50 times. malaria
The disease is most commonly transmitted by an infected female Anopheles mosquito. The mosquito bite introduces the parasites from the mosquito’s saliva into a person’s blood. The parasites travel to the liver where they mature and reproduce. The daily drug I take is supposed to kill the parasites before they mature and reproduce. My doctor says most all PCVs likely have Malaria in our livers. Malaria has been around for 500,000 years. Sickle cell anemia exists BECAUSE of Malaria (mutation).

In Uganda:
– Most prevalent disease in Uganda
– Highly endemic in 95% of the country
– 320 deaths DAILY
However, in the majority of cases of cipla cialis india cat scratch, the penile organ is unaffected. My friend found it really simple to buy commander cialis purchased this Kamagra Australia from the online drug store as he don’t have to go on his own to the pharmacy or to the brain centers that process the aural information conveyed by the ears.People who sustain head injury are especially vulnerable to hearing loss or ringing sensation in ears* Shortness of breath.* Swelling of hands and feet.* Light -head, feeling. A lot of men today suffer from erectile dysfunction and shorter check these guys india sildenafil duration of erection. Listed below are some important guidelines which have preventive benefits and can play an important role in treating it. it is, however, as effective as viagra buy. – Leading cause of morbidity and mortality in children
– Child deaths due to malaria: 70,000-110,000 per year
– Pregnant women are four times more vulnerable to Malaria due to low immune status
– 25-40% of all outpatient visits
– Major threat to economic growth which is dependent on agriculture
A good way to avoid malaria is to use Long- Lasting Insecticide Nets (LLIN) Nets have been used since BC- even Cleopatra had one! (Since my arrival I have slept without a net only three nights.) A Universal Coverage Campaign is occurring in Uganda. Costs vary a lot Problems with LLIN include: Acceptance-People may have them, but that doesn’t mean they’re being used; Distribution and Cost Issues; Care: this is a huge problem. Nets are often over washed (wash once every three months – I haven’t washed mine yet. It doesn’t seem dirty. Dry in the shade)

I’ve Got the Medicine That Everybody Wants

IMAG0988 Until this week, I had no medical issues. I have been pretty fortunate compared to many of my cohorts. Then I woke up Monday with problems on both ends. Pretty sure it was food poisoning.  A couple of  items in my Peace Corps Medical Kit came in handy. I didn’t want to miss language class, and was there by noon, felt fine since.

Medicine List

Medicine inventory

About that medical kit…
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A picture of the kit on my side of the dorm room during training shows the relative size of it. Also pictured is the inventory of my jammed-packed medical kit. I thought you might find it interesting. I would like to have this inventory back in the States.

Not on the list, are pills to start taking if you think you have malaria, after consultation with the medical officer. In such an event you would be headed to the medical offices in Kampala. During training we learned how to do a quick malaria test with a prick of blood. I was not infected 🙂

The Site Is Right

For the site selection announcements today they made it like the “Price is Right”, calling it the “The Site is Right”  i.e. “Charley! Come on Down!” Cheesy as it seems. Then after a few corny jokes (I can’t even remember what they said about me) we were each told our location.

I will be working with rice farmers, and youth for the African Trainer and Entrepreneurs Forum. I will be living in Bugiri District, which is east of Kampala near the Northern Shores of the Lake Victoria, not too far from the border with Kenya.

It’s swampy, hence the rice farming. It will be hot and I’ll have to protect myself from Mosquitoes. There is a nearby volunteer I’ve heard about, working on a new product you can spray on the walls that prevent the malaria mosquitoes from landing. If they can’t land on walls, they won’t stay.

Quoting pertinent parts from the from the job description:

African Trainer and Entrepreneurs Forum was founded in 2009 to engage women and youths in modern agricultural practice. Our goal is to strengthen and support capacity of smallholder family farms and business communities in agribusiness and investment for economic transformation and food security.
MAJOR ORGANIZATION ACTIVITIES
 –  Promote rural financial inclusion through the Village Savings and Loans Association (VSLA) methodology
-  Mobilize people and support them in creating income generating activities including soap-making, charcoal briquettes, candle making, mushroom growing
 –  Supporting rice farmers in growing lowland rice

PRIMARY JOB DUTIES
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 – Conduct regular field visits to beneficiaries to provide hands on technical assistance,mentoring and coaching
 – Mobilize participating farmer groups and clusters to participate in collecting marketing and bulk purchasing of agro-inputs
 – Enhancing building capacity of farmers in business management and skills through training in farming as a business
 – Promoting farmer access to agri-finance through training and VSLA methodology

My supervisor is “an entrepreneur and mentor to Ugandan youths through the Uganda Youth Entrepreneur League. In his free time he likes to spend time with his friends, many of whom are part of the Rotary Club.” Uganda is the second most entrepreneurial country in the world (percentage of independent businesses). Getting acquainted with the local Rotary Club will help my integration into the community.

Here are more photos from today. Sorry about the quality. I think they look good on my camera and on Google Drive but they get fuzzy when I transfer them to WordPress. Even the map above (not from my camera) transferred fuzzy. Still learning.

To the right I am posing with Lucine, the Uganda Country Director. She is from Armenia, where she met her husband, a Peace Corps volunteer. She became a U.S. citizen and has worked in several countries. She told me Peace Corps has a five year rule, and she will be leaving us next year.

IMAG0927On the left, David (56) my roommate during training, myself (60), and Ron (66). They claim Wisconsin as their home state, but neither have lived there for a long time. In one of our evaluation groups we called ourselves the “Fossils”. They will be posted in the west, across the country from me.IMAG0937

Peace Corps brought in some dancers and drummers after our site selection ceremony.

DancingOn the left, I’m dancing with a native dancer. (Photo from another camera). We were all kind of pushed out there.

In a few weeks I’ll be living with my Home Stay community with four other volunteers somewhere in the Eastern section, One of them, Nick, is from Kansas City and will be posted in nearby Jinga, at the headwaters of the Nile. He loves the Kansas City Chiefs, poor guy. Carson, a Denver University grad hailing from Vermont, will also be nearby. We will be learning the Lusoga language. It’s nearly identical to Lugando, the dominant language. First however, are two weeks of intensive Ag training.

Red Mosquito

We watched a video from the State Department about Malaria. 162 members of the State Department contracted Malaria in 2013, and 113 of them were in the Peace Corps. The number one reason, is forgetting to take the daily meds to prevent it. I’m adding my daily dose the pile I take every morning. Some real sad stories in that video. We have rapid test kits and initial pills in our medical supplies.

We divided into teams and made posters.IMAG0872 This one was made by a pretty good artist on my team. It wasn’t picked as the best, but it was my favorite.

Red man’s your neighbor, call it behavior
While you’re climbing up slippery hills
Two steps ahead of him, punctures in your neck
Hovering just above your bed
Hovering just above your bed

I was bitten, must have been the devil
He was just paying me…
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And letting me know, he’s a’waiting, he’s a’waiting…
Ooh….

If I had known then what I know now…
If I had known then what I know now…
If I had known then what I know now…
If I had known then what I know now…

-Pearl Jam