After my last update - I had enjoyed the white water rafting so much - that I decided to go again! I had a couple of unexpected spare days, and the rafting company offered me a good deal - but to be honest - I didn't need much convincing. And it was soo much fun!!! I also did a bungee jump - but that's a story for later!
Following the rafting adventures, I headed back to the village. Thankfully we got one of the initiatives up and running - the free testing day. This saw us get the same number of patients in one day as we had been getting in a month. Worryingly, the majority tested positive for both the malaria and intestinal worms tests...
The other initiatives are still in the pipeline - unfortunately the language barrier meant there was confusion for the vaccination day - but I'm hoping the team will be able to get that up and running this week.
FUGA also started a collaboration with Makerere University (the main uni in Uganda) - whereby they will provide training locally to interested students. We did some community outreach - a very busy couple of days - but very interesting... it bodes well for the upcoming few months, and hopefully can be the catalyst for much more activity on the ground.
Clocks ticking - times running out, so bye for now!
Thursday, 23 July 2009
Monday, 29 June 2009
White Water!!!
Exhilarating, Enthralling, and an Adrenaline rush - that's a few words to describe my Saturday - which I spent white-water rafting on the River Nile! I managed to free the weekend and head to Jinja - and it was sooo much fun! Flips, wipeouts, floating in the Nile, being thrown about by a few grade 5's, and of course swallowing a little bit of the most famous river... A treat is certainly was! The campsite I was staying at had an absolutely stunning view of the Nile... words cannot describe - so you'll have to wait for the pics...
Between my last update and the rafting... We made some progress with the Health Centre - including agreeing and obtaining approval for Immunisations Days with the support of the Local District, having a free testing day, and other activities to get the local schools involved in the NGO's activities. The next few weeks will hopefully see the launch of these activities, which would be great for the local communities! I'm currently in Kampala, but as you can probably imagine, I'm looking forward to getting my teeth stuck in to the next few weeks in the village...
So just a short update, but will be back soon...
Between my last update and the rafting... We made some progress with the Health Centre - including agreeing and obtaining approval for Immunisations Days with the support of the Local District, having a free testing day, and other activities to get the local schools involved in the NGO's activities. The next few weeks will hopefully see the launch of these activities, which would be great for the local communities! I'm currently in Kampala, but as you can probably imagine, I'm looking forward to getting my teeth stuck in to the next few weeks in the village...
So just a short update, but will be back soon...
Wednesday, 17 June 2009
Lights anybody?
Hey people,
After my last update - I spent the next day running around Kampala meeting various people from different organisations. It was a great day - and I got a brief insight into some of the activities the major organisations are focusing on within Uganda. The next day I was on a bus - I was transporting a bike for one of the colleagues - which made life quite interesting. On several occasions, the conductor and his friends tried to convince me that I had to pay for transporting the bike - and the rate varied almost each time... I continued to play one guy against the other - and ended up paying zilch! Much fun...
Following that, I've spent 2 weeks in the village. Even after 5 months, I think I'm still begrudgingly adjusting to the work ethic and time-keeping (although I think the situations that are arising are quite unique to this organisation). I've had the opportunity to talk to some local health centres and other interested parties - and as a result, have initiated a few potential collaboration activities. Now it's just a matter of getting the management to buy-in and proactively manage some of the activity, and thus motivate the rest of the staff!
The preparations for electricity are still on-going - I've learnt that contractors cause issues whatever the country! As such, quite a bit of work remains within the Health Centre, but the main lines are on track... I still can't imagine the difference it will make to the area. Just to give you an idea of the population in the immediate vicinity of where I'm staying - most of them are subsistence crop farmers - growing mainly beans, matoke (plantains) and ground nut, with some also growing Sorghum (mainly used for local brew - which is incredibly strong!), and a few involved in animal farming. The other main activity is a local tin mine - where there are over 500 men & boys working... this adds an interesting dynamic to the local area. There are a limited number of shops, and there is selling of firewood and other such amenities. Due to the limited crop produce - the main diet consists of matoke and beans.
So the waiting game continues... I've promised myself some whitewater rafting before I leave Uganda - so hopefully I'll be able to fit that in... but it's difficult to schedule with the ever changing itineraries!!
Until next time...
After my last update - I spent the next day running around Kampala meeting various people from different organisations. It was a great day - and I got a brief insight into some of the activities the major organisations are focusing on within Uganda. The next day I was on a bus - I was transporting a bike for one of the colleagues - which made life quite interesting. On several occasions, the conductor and his friends tried to convince me that I had to pay for transporting the bike - and the rate varied almost each time... I continued to play one guy against the other - and ended up paying zilch! Much fun...
Following that, I've spent 2 weeks in the village. Even after 5 months, I think I'm still begrudgingly adjusting to the work ethic and time-keeping (although I think the situations that are arising are quite unique to this organisation). I've had the opportunity to talk to some local health centres and other interested parties - and as a result, have initiated a few potential collaboration activities. Now it's just a matter of getting the management to buy-in and proactively manage some of the activity, and thus motivate the rest of the staff!
The preparations for electricity are still on-going - I've learnt that contractors cause issues whatever the country! As such, quite a bit of work remains within the Health Centre, but the main lines are on track... I still can't imagine the difference it will make to the area. Just to give you an idea of the population in the immediate vicinity of where I'm staying - most of them are subsistence crop farmers - growing mainly beans, matoke (plantains) and ground nut, with some also growing Sorghum (mainly used for local brew - which is incredibly strong!), and a few involved in animal farming. The other main activity is a local tin mine - where there are over 500 men & boys working... this adds an interesting dynamic to the local area. There are a limited number of shops, and there is selling of firewood and other such amenities. Due to the limited crop produce - the main diet consists of matoke and beans.
So the waiting game continues... I've promised myself some whitewater rafting before I leave Uganda - so hopefully I'll be able to fit that in... but it's difficult to schedule with the ever changing itineraries!!
Until next time...
Sunday, 31 May 2009
One month in...
Well - I've completed a month in Uganda - and besides the repeated waiting, it's been quite interesting!
From where I left off 2 weeks ago - I spent 4 days walking around Kampala - and it was great fun. It is a very interesting city with various areas within the centre of town that breath a unique environment... There's some areas with mass markets and street vendors, and other areas completely built up with shopping malls and a golf course. There's also a multitude of eateries serving all types of cuisine (though I've been mainly going eating local way which has been much fun).
In Ruhamma, my activity has been stunted slightly as key meetings were delayed, but when the team meeting finally did take place last Wednesday, it was quite fruitful. The staff will all be participating in developing plans and activities to improve the way the health centre operates, improve the patient numbers, and understand better the potential of self-sustainability for the core operations of the organisation. I'm hoping to get people really moving on this - but it's a battle :o). The meeting itself was very interesting as it was in a mix of English and the local language, with a bit of French thrown in as well!
Besides this, I've also had the opportunity to learn about various medical techniques - although I was being explained in French - so although I think I understood quite a bit, I did struggle to ask clarification questions! I've also got used the heavily motokee (aka plantain) and beans diet.
In the afternoons, we are often visited by a group of local kids... who like to sing and dance for us... which is really kewl. We've been trying to get them to speak English, and also trying to make them understand some of the English songs they sing... Much fun! Also - people are mad about the football here... During the big Man U, Arsenal and Liverpool games, over 100 people watch a 32 inch tv running on a generator and they cheer so loudly it can be heard for quite a distance!
A fellow volunteer who was working with FUGA since December is leaving for the UK tomo - it's been quite refreshing to have someone to bounce ideas off etc... I'll be spending the majority of June in the village, but apparently we're still on target to receive electricity in the 1st week of July - which will completely change the dynamics of the village. One more month of untainted night sky!
From where I left off 2 weeks ago - I spent 4 days walking around Kampala - and it was great fun. It is a very interesting city with various areas within the centre of town that breath a unique environment... There's some areas with mass markets and street vendors, and other areas completely built up with shopping malls and a golf course. There's also a multitude of eateries serving all types of cuisine (though I've been mainly going eating local way which has been much fun).
In Ruhamma, my activity has been stunted slightly as key meetings were delayed, but when the team meeting finally did take place last Wednesday, it was quite fruitful. The staff will all be participating in developing plans and activities to improve the way the health centre operates, improve the patient numbers, and understand better the potential of self-sustainability for the core operations of the organisation. I'm hoping to get people really moving on this - but it's a battle :o). The meeting itself was very interesting as it was in a mix of English and the local language, with a bit of French thrown in as well!
Besides this, I've also had the opportunity to learn about various medical techniques - although I was being explained in French - so although I think I understood quite a bit, I did struggle to ask clarification questions! I've also got used the heavily motokee (aka plantain) and beans diet.
In the afternoons, we are often visited by a group of local kids... who like to sing and dance for us... which is really kewl. We've been trying to get them to speak English, and also trying to make them understand some of the English songs they sing... Much fun! Also - people are mad about the football here... During the big Man U, Arsenal and Liverpool games, over 100 people watch a 32 inch tv running on a generator and they cheer so loudly it can be heard for quite a distance!
A fellow volunteer who was working with FUGA since December is leaving for the UK tomo - it's been quite refreshing to have someone to bounce ideas off etc... I'll be spending the majority of June in the village, but apparently we're still on target to receive electricity in the 1st week of July - which will completely change the dynamics of the village. One more month of untainted night sky!
Sunday, 10 May 2009
A few steps east...
So, thanks to one of my colleagues friend, I was escorted through the entire airport and briskly deposited at the departure gate for my flight... I didn't even have to think where I was going! On arrival at Kampala, I was greeted by the director and another volunteer of FUGA, and so the Uganda adventure begun.
I spent the rest of the day sorting stuff out in Kampala, and the next day at 6 am, me and the other volunteer departed for Ruhamma - a village 6 hours away. The journey was on a bus which left on schedule - so already a stark contrast to the Cameroon travel. But 2 hours into the journey, the radiator deserted us, and the bus had to pull over. We had to wait 3 hours for a replacement bus, but once it arrived, we continued on the journey.
In Ruhamma, Fuga are running a medical centre - which is the primary activity of the NGO. The town is not yet connected with electricity though the pillars and wiring are going in as we speak, and they hope to be connected by 1st July. The plan was to return to Kampala in a few days, but I ended up staying until yesterday. As a result, I had a 2 week beard - and was rationing my mobile phone usage to make sure it lasted till I returned to my phone charger!
Its been an interesting start - understanding how the NGO works, and learning a lot more about the operations of a medical centre. It's been very interesting living without electricity, and great admiring the untainted night sky! One of the staff also took me and the other volunteer to his farm over the weekend - and we got to see his farm in action - including cows grazing at night under the moonlit sky (and the moon is very bright!).
Besides that, the first two weeks have included quite a bit of waiting around, reviewing the months expenses and budgets, and meeting a few of the relevant local officers from the government. I should be in Kampala for a few days, before returning back to the village... It seems a city full of life, and I'm looking forward to exploring!
I spent the rest of the day sorting stuff out in Kampala, and the next day at 6 am, me and the other volunteer departed for Ruhamma - a village 6 hours away. The journey was on a bus which left on schedule - so already a stark contrast to the Cameroon travel. But 2 hours into the journey, the radiator deserted us, and the bus had to pull over. We had to wait 3 hours for a replacement bus, but once it arrived, we continued on the journey.
In Ruhamma, Fuga are running a medical centre - which is the primary activity of the NGO. The town is not yet connected with electricity though the pillars and wiring are going in as we speak, and they hope to be connected by 1st July. The plan was to return to Kampala in a few days, but I ended up staying until yesterday. As a result, I had a 2 week beard - and was rationing my mobile phone usage to make sure it lasted till I returned to my phone charger!
Its been an interesting start - understanding how the NGO works, and learning a lot more about the operations of a medical centre. It's been very interesting living without electricity, and great admiring the untainted night sky! One of the staff also took me and the other volunteer to his farm over the weekend - and we got to see his farm in action - including cows grazing at night under the moonlit sky (and the moon is very bright!).
Besides that, the first two weeks have included quite a bit of waiting around, reviewing the months expenses and budgets, and meeting a few of the relevant local officers from the government. I should be in Kampala for a few days, before returning back to the village... It seems a city full of life, and I'm looking forward to exploring!
Monday, 27 April 2009
And thats me from Cameroon!
Hey peeps...
So after 15 whole days without the internet...I'm back in Kumba having said my goodbyes to Bangem (and having found out on my last day that they now have an internet connection in town installed in the town - d'oh!). It was definitely weird saying goodbye...
The last two weeks were spent putting finishing touches to a few of the docs that i've produced, helping my colleagues in their activities and really winding down getting ready for Uganda. I was able to attend a WWF Workshop on the demarcation of national forest - which involved various delegates and local chiefs, and a great couple of presentations providing some good education to the attendees, and a TFTF workshop on tree planting (and I did some planting too!).
Yesterday afternoon I was treated to a scrumptious good bye meal by the family i'm staying with. They prepared so much food!! and it was soo nice and very enjoyable.
The little things I'll def not forget from Cameroon - the cold showers, the variety of insects (wait till u see the pics), power cuts (I was left with half a haircut at one point), lightning storms and heavy rains, the great hospitality, and the chilled out mode of operations!
So I'll be travelling to Douala tomorrow, hopefully flying out to schedule reaching Uganda on Wed morning. I'll be picked up by the Director of the NGO I'll be helping - and will hopefully start to discover more about the adventure there. Things i know at the mo - the NGO has a medical centre, a community, a tree plantation and a few vehicles... and is looking to achieve self-sustainability using these assets. Though my primary location is in Kampala, the field activities are in a town called Ruhanna. But I'll write more about all this when I reach Uganda. (oh yeah - and there's white water rafting that I'm really looking forward too!)
Ciao for now...
So after 15 whole days without the internet...I'm back in Kumba having said my goodbyes to Bangem (and having found out on my last day that they now have an internet connection in town installed in the town - d'oh!). It was definitely weird saying goodbye...
The last two weeks were spent putting finishing touches to a few of the docs that i've produced, helping my colleagues in their activities and really winding down getting ready for Uganda. I was able to attend a WWF Workshop on the demarcation of national forest - which involved various delegates and local chiefs, and a great couple of presentations providing some good education to the attendees, and a TFTF workshop on tree planting (and I did some planting too!).
Yesterday afternoon I was treated to a scrumptious good bye meal by the family i'm staying with. They prepared so much food!! and it was soo nice and very enjoyable.
The little things I'll def not forget from Cameroon - the cold showers, the variety of insects (wait till u see the pics), power cuts (I was left with half a haircut at one point), lightning storms and heavy rains, the great hospitality, and the chilled out mode of operations!
So I'll be travelling to Douala tomorrow, hopefully flying out to schedule reaching Uganda on Wed morning. I'll be picked up by the Director of the NGO I'll be helping - and will hopefully start to discover more about the adventure there. Things i know at the mo - the NGO has a medical centre, a community, a tree plantation and a few vehicles... and is looking to achieve self-sustainability using these assets. Though my primary location is in Kampala, the field activities are in a town called Ruhanna. But I'll write more about all this when I reach Uganda. (oh yeah - and there's white water rafting that I'm really looking forward too!)
Ciao for now...
Monday, 13 April 2009
Last 3 weeks...
Hey y'all...
I've got the internet again after a couple of weeks - though was a close call as we've had no power for the night and most of the morning due to torrential rain and storms... and I'm travelling back to Bangem this morning. Luckily the lights came back just before I was leaving - so I've quickly nipped into the internet cafe.
So a quick update on the last 3 weeks... I did some touristing at Limbe - a seaside town close to here. I visited a primate zoo - it was really interesting watching the gorilla's and chimps... So many pics to keep you all interested when I'm back :o).
I also visited the Muanenguba lakes - the main tourist spot near Bangem, and what the local area is famous for. The lakes are result of a historic volcano eruption... and they are amazing. We had a 10km trek to the lakes.. which was slightly tiring, but the lakes and the surround area were gorgeous. We also visited the people who have inhabited the area - very interesting set... they concentrate on herding cows, goats etc, and seemed to have a very content and happy life!
In terms of work.. a couple of weeks ago I held a strategy workshop meeting with my colleagues. This was interesting as the younger members aren't normally used to inclusive planning - they are normally given tasks and that's it... We went through the various collateral I've created since I've been here... After the morning workshop, we went for a meal to celebrate our hard mornings work, as is customary!
For the last few weeks of my stay in Cameroon, I'm mainly supporting the two members of staff with their activities... and this is taking me to various workshops and meetings with community groups.
I have also completed my situational analysis of the Kupe-Muanenguba Division, which is basically a "how I see things" document outlining whats good and what are the opportunities and threats to the region. (if anyone wants a read, ping me an e-mail and I'll send it over).
Now i'm gonna see if i can post a couple of pics - I think u'll know if i'm successful or not!
ps. luckily I haven't had to travel with animals as yet... maybe that'll happen in Uganda :os!
I've got the internet again after a couple of weeks - though was a close call as we've had no power for the night and most of the morning due to torrential rain and storms... and I'm travelling back to Bangem this morning. Luckily the lights came back just before I was leaving - so I've quickly nipped into the internet cafe.
So a quick update on the last 3 weeks... I did some touristing at Limbe - a seaside town close to here. I visited a primate zoo - it was really interesting watching the gorilla's and chimps... So many pics to keep you all interested when I'm back :o).
I also visited the Muanenguba lakes - the main tourist spot near Bangem, and what the local area is famous for. The lakes are result of a historic volcano eruption... and they are amazing. We had a 10km trek to the lakes.. which was slightly tiring, but the lakes and the surround area were gorgeous. We also visited the people who have inhabited the area - very interesting set... they concentrate on herding cows, goats etc, and seemed to have a very content and happy life!
In terms of work.. a couple of weeks ago I held a strategy workshop meeting with my colleagues. This was interesting as the younger members aren't normally used to inclusive planning - they are normally given tasks and that's it... We went through the various collateral I've created since I've been here... After the morning workshop, we went for a meal to celebrate our hard mornings work, as is customary!
For the last few weeks of my stay in Cameroon, I'm mainly supporting the two members of staff with their activities... and this is taking me to various workshops and meetings with community groups.
I have also completed my situational analysis of the Kupe-Muanenguba Division, which is basically a "how I see things" document outlining whats good and what are the opportunities and threats to the region. (if anyone wants a read, ping me an e-mail and I'll send it over).
Now i'm gonna see if i can post a couple of pics - I think u'll know if i'm successful or not!
ps. luckily I haven't had to travel with animals as yet... maybe that'll happen in Uganda :os!
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