updates!

Friday September 12, 2008

There are days that writing comes easy, natural and time is readily available for elaborating on the events of the day etc. Then there are weeks when if time is actually available to write out my thoughts and feelings etc., it is filled with bouts of exhaustion causing dry eyes and deep sleepiness or simply put, the attack of the killer malaria infested mosquito’s is so great that writing away on my computer would be, for lack of better terms – a sure death warrant. Most times, I allow both of those, exhaustion, dry eyes and sleepiness as well as the attack of the killer mosquito’s to hinder my writing process, however this early 4:17 Saturday morning, I do not have many other options unless I relish in my own misery in bed with the deep and inevitable irritation of scratching and slapping away those pesty little insects with thickened forewings and mouthparts adapted for piercing and sucking the blood of nonetheless, Rebekah herself. Tonight, I am like a honeysuckle for the honeybees – the mosquito’s have attacked me so intensely that I feel that I have been traumatized and no longer capable of shutting my eyes while laying prone in bed this morning. The absolutely worst part of this experience is not even the pain inflicted through the puncturing of the stinger through my skin and the itchy red welts that result, but the awful, no – horrifying ear -piercing buzz of the mosquito’s as they buzz their way directly past your ear in a parade like fashion. This sounds similar to that of military planes whizzing overhead, but with a high screech resembling nails on a chalkboard and rockets being launched… I decided after the last four and half hours of this fitful existence – it was time to get up.

So here I write, with the fan on high aimed directly at me – in the event that any mosquito’s in this room has any unsuitable ideas that are not in accordance with my sense of fairness or justice.

I am in Kampala, Uganda this morning. I arrived here a couple of days ago. Richard – the logistics director for ChildVoice International, and Natalie, an Intern with ChildVoice International and myself all drove on the PostBus from Gulu to Kampala last Thursday. Richard came down for his every two-week visit to see his wife and three children for the weekend, and Natalie came down to visit her good friends, Ernest, Dale and Simon-Peter. Ernest had 29th birthday on Thursday night, and this was a major reason for her visit. I received the opportunity to accompany her to Ernest’s birthday party – this was a very nice, low-key evening. I came to Kampala as I had a follow up meeting with the Rotary club of Kampala, with Simon once again, as well as three other special projects committee members of the Korro – Kampala Rotary Club. This was my second meeting with this club and it went well, I will explain in more details later.

Dale and Ernest are vibrant young gentlemen who own a driving/tour company called ‘Be a Blessing’ and act as the drivers for the ChildVoice teams when they need to hire vans for pick up/drop off from airport as well as when they need hired drivers throughout their stay wherever they are in Uganda. Natalie met these guys as she has been on three trips to Uganda now and has had them as her driver each trip. These two guys have me laughing hysterically each time that I am with them – they are very generous, self-less and compassionate servants who are beautiful examples of the love of Jesus to anyone who crosses their paths. Dale and Ernest made reservations for Natalie and I at the Baptist Mission. This is a nice gated compound containing offices of the Baptist Mission as well as a couple of guest-houses for those associated with this Baptist Mission or other missionaries throughout the country. The birthday party for Dale was held as a missionary (through the Baptist Mission) couple’s house who have two incredibly intelligent young children (ages 7 and 9). Ironically their youngest daughter (7 year old) is also very hard of hearing and wears a hearing aid in one ear and is deaf in the other. We connected well as she noticed the aid I was wearing. I very much enjoyed the connections I made that Thursday evening and continue to experience as I meet many other new friends throughout my stay in Kampala.

Since I wrote last on this blog, I managed to finish up with the symptoms of malaria, get back to work in the office on the grant that Natalie and I have been working together to complete for USAID, move out to the Lukodi Centre (the ChildVoice long-term rehabilitation centre where the women and their children live) and move into a hut and sleep in a hammock.

This first night in the hut and hammock proved quite unsuccessful… Between the crashing of the deeply angry thunder, the lightening bolts flashing and rain drip…drip…dripping onto my head from the leaking thatched roof of my hut and the door continuously swaying open from the wild winds, the hole in my hammock’s mosquito net that I accidentally caused by over stretching my legs, the worm I felt crawling across my belly followed by the black and green caterpillar that I found crawling towards me on the blanket I was sleeping under as I shined my headlamp onto the worm… yes, these and a few other odd evening events kept me alert and without sleep throughout my first evening in this hut home of mine. From that night on, I decided to sleep on the cement floor of the other two interns, Natalie and Kristin’s hut while keeping my possessions in my hut and using this as my base.

Living out in Lukodi with the residents of the ChildVoice Rehabilitation Center – 29 girls and their 36 children was a literal dream come true. Having the chance to see in person the work of the previous couple of years and the fruit that has resulted; the opportunity for formerly abducted child mothers and their children and other vulnerable girls/children have the opportunity to heal from years of trauma in a secure, loving, safe and advanced environment has been my prayer for the last 14 months previous to my return back to Africa. I really truly knew the specifics of what this Center for the healing of traumatized women and children would like, until I arrived back here to see it with my own eyes.

Brittany and I conducted 300 + interviews last year, April through June of 2007, with formerly abducted child mothers and their children. Of those 300 women and children, Brittany and I narrowed the applicant pool down to the 45 most vulnerable women and children before leaving back to America. Of these, twenty-five of the thirty women who are currently in the CVI program are women that we interviewed.

Brittany and I conducted over 300 quantitative interviews in five IDP camps in Gulu District over the summer of 2007. These interviews indicated significant rates of extreme poverty, various types of abuse, child neglect, family conflicts and rejection, and other needs. This interview contained a trauma assessment based on the DSM-IV definition of PTSD and depression. This questionnaire was followed up after we left the country, in the fall of 2007 with home visits to ensure accuracy in self-reports. This also built the foundation for strong relationships between ChildVoice staff and the family and larger community.

Through these interviews and home visits, ChildVoice was able to specifically identify and admit extremely vulnerable individuals, specifically those with physical injuries, child and/or mother malnutrition, illiteracy, high trauma reports, extreme poverty and/or family estrangement.

When I moved out to the Lukodi Center, my attention was irresistibly focused on the changes these women have experienced – both visibly as well as those changes that are not so evident with the naked eye. Through stories that the girls had shared with me concerning the changes in their lives since arriving to the Center, it is so obvious that God is for real – the changes in the lives of these girls are such that only He could could produce. The fact that these girls report improvements such as no longer having nightmares, living without fear of being re-possessed by evil spirits, the fact that many shared they no longer experience hatred towards those people (LRA rebel members, United People Defense Force (UPDF)– Ugandan government etc.) who had forced them into traumatic, inhumane situations, the love that they now for their children with and many other examples revealed to me that indeed, this ChildVoice Rehabilitation Center is making a valuable lasting impact in the lives of the girls and children that will make a substantial difference in the country of Uganda in the years to come.

I enjoyed, as did the girls and their children, taking hundreds of photos of the CVI facilities and the residents themselves. It was absolutely beautiful to observe how healthy they are now. I have many photos of the girls in the program from 14 months ago when I first met many of them. Comparing these photos from over a year ago to what they now look like – is comparing night and day… So healthy, eyes filled with hope, love expressed through their actions toward their children… it is a beautiful transformation.

My time in Gulu is now finished. I have come to Kampala to meet with the Rotary Club of Kampala to see if they would be interested in partnering with CVI and assisting through a matching grant process. After this previous meeting with the special projects committee, we were invited to present CVI to the entire Kampala – Korro club of 60 plus members on the evening of Tuesday September 16th.


Sunday, September 21, 2008

The meeting with the Rotary Club of Kampala went very well, the club members as well as president expressed great interest and will be informing us of their final decision to work with us sometime this week. This is very exciting for CVI as this has been a process to get to this point.

There has been a long lapse in posting for a variety of reasons… my apologies.

I have had many changes in my plans of travels and projects, there have been a number of unforeseen circumstances.

I am now in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia where I have been for the past three days. I completed my time with ChildVoice International after the meeting with Rotary of Kamapala – Korro. I arrived in Addis Ababa on the morning of Friday, September 19th. It is wonderful to be back in Addis Ababa again and I am very much enjoying the opportunity to re-acquaint myself with the culture of Ethiopia, as it is quite a significant contrast from that of Uganda.

I will continue to update this site with further details throughout the days ahead. Thank you again those of you who have continued to encourage and support me through your emails, viewing this blog and posting notes and prayers. I value your support in this process of assisting ChildVoice International and my time in Africa.

October 2, 2008

I have arrived back to America and feel fortunate to be here. Having had a few challenges throughout the process of and upon my return, I continue to be grateful that I serve a God who promises to provide for me my every need and take care of me as I continue to seek Him and His will for my life and act accordingly.

Things are going well throughout my transition back to America. I look forward to providing a more detailed update soon!

Thank you all for your assistance and continued love and support!