July 16th 2008

Greetings from Uganda. For the past few days I have had a temperature so I have spent most of my time sleeping. I still have a bit of a fever, but I am well enough to come out, paint at the orphanage, and use the internet cafe 15 minutes away. I have been helping the kids at night with some of their math problems. They have no calculators and some of the problems are poorly written. I wish I brought some practice regents exams to show them. Yesterday a 13 year old came down with what looks like yellow fever. She was taken to the hospital, which wasn't really much of a hospital at all. Medical utencels made out of wood, crowded rooms with deathly ill people and only one doctor and other things you wouldn't believe. She could not get a proper diagnoses because the blood work room was locked and the man with the key had just took off to go a few hours away. Hows that for organization? Anyway, she is being treated as best she can and hopefuly all will be well. I taught the kids rock paper scizzors, along with thumb war and they never get tired of it. The permiculture is going well. I haven't been able to help with the gardening yet because I have been weak since the fever started.
I milked a cow again! And this time I was able to squeeze every last drop out without having the cow attempt to kick off my head. Also, we visited the chickens they keep and new hatchlings arrived two days ago. They were adorable! Also the goats here are mostly very playful. You push against their horns and they push back. When you stop pushing they buck, wanting more.
The kids here are still amazing. Always knocking at my door. They are very patient when teaching me Luganda and find it so amusing when I try to learn a dance move. We went to visit another school called farm school a few days ago. There was one girl named Sharon that misses you Cassie. She was so much fun to be with and I am going to try and plan a trip back there to spend some time with them again.
Everything is going well so far. Tomorrow my mother and I, and Selso and his mother Maria (two other volinteers) are planing a trip to Queen Elizabeth. This is a safari that is located a few hours from the orphanage where we will be staying for 2 days. I am very excited for that. Then my mother and I will go into Kampala for a night. In the morning my mom is off to the airport and I am back to Sabina. Instead of me coming back the 31st, I will be back the 29th. I decided I needed two more days before camp for transition time and to adjust to the 7 hour time difference.
This experience has been absolutly enlightening and brilliant. This blog really isn't enough to explain everything, but when I return I will have many pictures and stories to go along with them.

I love you all!!!

xoxo

~Madeline~