January 30th, 2018

Oh life in Africa can be so challenging for This Muzungu! No wifi, temp. wifi, no electricity, computers freezing and kicking me off! This is not the way I planned to blog tonight. This is my second edition of today's entry and my 4th attempt at blogging a whole and complete thought without the system deleting my entry. Calgon take me away!!!! So, really and seriously, nothing can take away the joy of today. I will start by thanking all of the donors that contributed over the past year. Some how, some way we were fortunate enough to obtain the solar power for the offices and Dining room for TM.

This edition has allowed us to work through power outages and issues that would otherwise cripple us as a Team. Thank you, Morgan, who is in MT right now working to help us navigate some of our internet issues long distance and open up doors for software access!!!! Today was a special day, a day filled with hope and promise. AIDSpirit USA is a small NGO with great vision and endless possibilities. Who reading this today can imagine 300 people who have trekked across the Region on foot, on boda boda, in cabs filled with 20 people in a 6 person vehicle, being carried, on crutches....all to receive the gift of better health and wellness?

Today was a huge undertaking filled with Love and Hope. Sicklers, those that suffer from chronic and debilitating Sickle Cell disease made their way to TM. They receive a better life by being educated, informed and treated all in the same day. Doctors and volunteers plug through the masses attending patiently in the brutal sun, some under tents, others sitting in the dirt, some hanging out by the wall or gate, waiting to take their turn to see the Doctor. There is food for 400 prepared by a huge kitchen staff for the day, children from a school hours away drove to our clinic just to entertain and educate the crowd.

Through song and dance they sing of the Hope that Aidspirit has provided. The better life they pray for can be theirs, the audience, if they just trust in the Lord, treat the symptoms early and maintain their (often lack of) medication on a regular basis. Sicklers can live a near normal life if they maintain wellness through these clinics. Today I would like to thank the Sisters of the Catholic Church who donate funds to make this clinic happen.

A life of service, no matter the affiliation, is a Life Well Lived!!!! It takes every person making one small sacrifice to help so many in need. And with your help, you have made great things happen thru AIDSpirit. Those that come will be treated at the clinic. Sunset is no cut-off for care. Patience is a lesson learned today for some of us, but along with that was the lesson of love, joy and gratitude. We have been so fortunate to have met 3 of the most beautiful young, up and coming stars in our universe.

​Three medical interns, representing Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands (??) are staying at our hotel. We were introduced and the rest is history! These very attentive, curious, intelligent young doctors-to-be are here interning at the Kayunga clinic and then they gave of themselves, sacrificially, by coming over to TM to meet and shadow the doctor and get to know us and the children. They saw and examined countless sicklers, a 7 month old baby with a defect of the heart (devastating), an abcess on a young boys face the size of a football, and a young girl with a probable. 

​So a child with a swollen spleen, all results of sickle cell. These young doctors fell in our lap like a gift, and so much was learned and appreciated by the patients and our AIDSpirit Team. Thanks go out to Timbo, Laura & Laura #2. Your enthusiasm and curiosity fuels our existence as volunteers! We wrapped up our day with great conversation about the day and smiles on our faces! The Team p.s. I promise to find a place to post pics on FB and Instagram so our social media friends can keep up too By the way, in March pick up the APRIL edition of Women's Day magazine and check out an article about the great things AIDSpirit experienced in Uganda last June. This will be such a great honor to be recognized in large nationwide mag. like Women's Day!!!!