My dear friend, Liz was suppose to come join me in Uganda, but because of the situation surrounding the building of our medical clinic (see earlier blog), she ended up going to Ethiopia for six months. She is an American registered nurse, who has walked away from her job her to give medical care to the impoverished in Ethiopia. Below are some of her thoughts that she is sending back home. Some are so close to my personal experience that I just had to include them in my blog, because it felt like me talking about Africa, but also some of her experiences are very unlike Uganda that I thought it might be interesting to reveal the culture diversity that is found in Africa.... so enjoy!
Learning to Say No7 million…. I honestly do not know how anyone would do a census around here – with the amount of people who are jobless, homeless, or in makeshift shacks – it’s not like they have some sort of tax ID, or an address, or have their kids registered in school. Everywhere I go, people are begging – I see cripples, people with massive deformities, kids with continual eye and nose boogars (sorry, you all are going to get the real story here – from a nurse who’s fascinated with the gross stuff). The beggars here are different – far more aggressive than home. It makes me wish for the homeless man on the corner who politely holds a sign and quietly waits back home. It’s easier to “look the other way” and think, “Oh God, please help that man, as I get a green light and drive off”.
Here the beggars here come up to your car window, put their hands on your window, stare at you with well rehearsed puppy eyes and speak with a minimal voice of someone who is in survival mode. And when you notion with your hands and head that you don’t have anything –which let’s face it, we all have something – after the empty hand gesture – they get even more puppy eyed and more aggressive.
I began to get frustrated – within 8 days of being here, I had a meltdown.
I came here to say “yes” – not to repeatedly tell people no.
The problem of poverty is huge – I could be completely broke in a day giving all my money out to the poor- and the next day, it would be the same problem.
Handing out money is not the means to and end, but it puts a bandaid on it for maybe an hour or two?
In Uganda, the beggars are not near as aggressive as Liz describes. So, instead of kids begging for money, you have vendors trying to selling all sorts of crazy things to cars stuck in traffic. You can buy anything from toothpaste, a newspaper, and phone time, to posters, chairs and clothes! However, learning that you can't possibly meet every need that you see, is one of the very first realizations that comes to you in Africa. You could be out of money in a week and never accomplish the purpose that you were sent to do if you can't learn how to say "no", despite how hard it really is and the internal conflict it creates inside of you. Got Power?
I do not have electricity at least 2 days a week. The government is rationing out the power. I guess the power runs off a hydroelectric system and Ethiopia did not get as much rain earlier on this year – as indicated by the famine in the south – it’s gotten significantly bad, people are starving down south. Some days I do not have running water until afternoon – and I do not quite understand that one. And the 2 days a week are variable… so you never know! It like the feeling of Christmas morning… it’s somewhat a magical cloud as you wake full of anticipation and run down to check out the presents under the tree – that is the same feeling that embraces my heart as I approach the light switch to assess if it’s a day full of power. Rather goosebumpy, my palms get sweaty just reaching for that little switch. So, you can imagine how my heart drops when nothing happens as I flicker the switch back and forth… ahhhh yes, the trials of the mission field. I know, you feel sorry for me. I understand the feeling of anticipation or dispointment based on your access to electricity. In Uganda, we never had power on Sunday morning (so no looking nice for church) and we never had power after a lightening storm other than that, it was just as unpredictable. Though we didn't have electricity for days on end sometimes and when we do so many people are illegally tapping into the lines that its so weak, the lights cast a sickly glow that isn't all great.
Plans; Organization; Yeah Right!
There are certain things one needs to know and attempt to understand about Africa. Nothing is quite what you think, nothing goes as quick as you’d like, and nobody cares that you are in a hurry and they’rre not!! I’m laughing right now. So the clinic has not been running – it’s been an idea that’s been running that somehow was communicated to me as an actual tangible activity. So, I’m working on getting it up and going. I’m in the process of purchasing supplies, organizing paperwork – yea, I’m going kill some trees, but there is no organization here! And, in order for us to get accredited through the government, there needs to be documentation for the people we see. There is some medical care going on. The Entoto team has been buying prescriptions for these patients with HIV, and some minimal supplies from a pharmacy – as needed, not kept at hand. I have a designated room in this community center – and now I’m going to fill it! LOL. I told you Liz! When you told me that they had this clinic fully functioning, I was impressed, but had my doubts. And, you're right, all you can do is laugh out loud!
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