Last Blog About Jinja
April 19, 2019
Seattle. Washington
USA
Well we have arrived home after three months in Jinja,
Uganda. We had a wonderful three months
working with two very different organizations. One was Rays of Hope Hospice Jinja
a palliative care program ministering to the sickest of the sick. The other was St. Francis Health Care
Services an organization providing health care, social services, youth program,
a home for HIV positive children and maternity care along with health and
immunization services to the infants and children of the area.
Both organizations serve the poorest of the poor in their
homes and in the outpatient setting. Rays
of Hope sees patient in the very rural areas of Eastern Uganda. They are people who have breast cancer,
cervical cancer, tumors of all sorts as well as HIV. Many of them have gotten to the last stages
of life due to these illnesses. And if they had been diagnosed early could have
survived. RHHJ provides end of life care keeping these patients as comfortable
as possible. They also advocate for care
and intervention when they find someone who might benefit from that. Problems
abound because patients, in most cases do not have finances to see help in the
hospitals. We spent time in the field with some of the nursing staff and were
touched by the caring attitude and knowledge of the staff. They were always mindful of the patient and
family needs and were ever caring individuals.
At RHHJ Hinda, worked on a data system which would go along
with their medical records, unfortunately, this project is still ongoing when
we had hoped it would be completed before we left. Hinda also assisted staff with other small
projects but mostly gave moral support and helped staff find their way. Although she thought she was not doing a
great deal, we have just learned that one of the nurses who was pregnant during
our stay, delivered a baby girl and named her Hinda. She told us that she felt loved and cared for
while we were there and therefore wanted to always remember us and have her
baby grow up with the tenderness and caring the Hinda showed to her.
Peter helped RHHJ by taking lots of photos for them to use
in their various publications and posters, as well as mentoring staff in
photography. He also helped the
Executive Director with some grant writing skills. And provided expertise with
their written and web materials, always providing a positive and encouraging sense
of action for the staff.
St. Francis was a much larger organization with much larger
issues. Peter shared an office with
Joseph, the Program Director, in line to become the Executive Director when the
current Director retires. It was a thrill for Peter to work with Joseph, since
we had met him in Uganda in 2004 when Peter mentored him. Now the tables had turned and Joseph was the
boss. Peter helped Joseph think through and develop action steps that needed to
be implemented. And they had a lot of
fun together working and sharing. It was
a more informal mentoring. Joseph was no
longer a beginner, and Peter worked with him in a respectful manner. They really got long well. Peter was instrumental in providing access to
a new type of Nutriflour for malnourished babies and adults living with HIV. Peter
helped with redoing their web page, helping to choose a group to produce a
documentary, assisted with renting a piece of property for the grandmother’s
program to use for a craft store, Finally,
Peter took a lot of documentary photos for St. Francis which already are being
used on their new web page and elsewhere.
Hinda did an evaluation of the reception and triage area of
the clinic making recommendations for changes in operation and design. All recommendations were accepted and they
are now in the process of making the changes.
She also worked with the Human Resources manager on a new HR Policy and
Procedure Manual, which also is being adopted.
She also provided expertise and guidance in acquiring supplies that were
needed but now stocked, for example oxygen masks in case the cannulas did not
work and something called UBT’s which are used for women hemorrhaging after
delivering their babies.
At the end of our stay St. Francis made a lovely dinner for
us and gave us a book which many of the staff wrote in stating their feelings
towards us and their appreciation for our help.
It was extremely touching and will be long remembered as a high spot of
our stay.
We already miss the close relationships we developed, and
from what we hear, they miss working with us also.
And to our great delight, we had visits from our dear friends from Kampala: Atyero Gertrude, Kyosiimye Esther, Eric Kamunvi, and PeterPaul Igu. And from Kisumu, daughter "Sunday" Anne Otajah.
Glad to be home for a while (long while) and be with our kids, grandchildren, and friends.
Love,
P&H
