Kitengeesan & Mbarara

Good morning all,
It is 0630 (Tuesday, August 3) Ugandan time and Saramin, Jessica and I are enjoying our hot African Spiced Tea with steamed milk at the Makere Guest House in Kampala. We are about to leave for the next lag of our trip in Mbarara where we will meet Dr. Stephen Ttendo and begin our work at the Mbarara University of Science and Technology.
As wait to depart, I thought I would reflect on our experiences yesterday and submit a blog for you to read. The road system is slowly improving in Uganda. The main highway from Kampala to Mbarara is under construction, and there are still many kilometers of rock and gravel roads, but with the new addition to ash fault, it makes this trip much more enjoyable. We also noticed that there are now 2 traffic signals in Kampala – although they are not always on – depending on availability of hydro. Another difference that we have noticed is many more traffic police stopping cars, boda bodas (motorcycles), and truck to ensure that all cars and drivers are licensed. Again – everyone is so welcoming – even the traffic police ensure to welcome us and ask if we are enjoying our stay!! One less-enjoyable part of the drive is the rest stops. At times there are toilets (with or without seats), but most are outhouse-like, with just porcelain holes in the ground. With our hand sanitizers in hand, we trek along…..
Yesterday (Monday, August 2, 2010) we were very fortunate to visit the Good Samaritan School for the Deaf in Kitengeesan, which was a three and a half hour drive fromour residence at Makere University Guest House to view a water project which includes two cistern systems that captures rain water off the school roof and also a water filtration system. This water project was installed with the support of the Caledonia,Ontario Rotary group and the Rotarian group in Muanga, Uganda. In the past, the students of the school had to walk approximately 2 km to a ground water reservoir, to gather water they then had to boil the water to be able to use it for drinking water. We observed how the water filtration system works, which is a simple cement structure with sand in it. The water percolates through the sand and as it comes out of the filter cleared of 99 % impurities. The school head master was very thankful for the addition of the water system because now that the children are drinking clean water, there has been a dramatic decrease in the number of children suffering from gastrointestinal issues.A retired engineer from Calgary invented this simple water filtration system called Biosand, and it using all products and resources from Uganda, therefore this product is easy to build and sustain here in Uganda. It was an amazing trip and one of the most eye-opening experiences so far this trip. While we were at the school, we also gave out pens, pencils and soccer balls to the students (Thank you to all the staff who donated pens and pencils!!) The appreciation and thanks were evident from the headmaster, teachers, and most importantly, the children who greeted us with big smiles and the sign language applause.
OnMonday evening, we went out to Saramins favourite restaurant in Kampala – a delicious Indian restaurant called Speke. We were joined by Joseph (our SJHS IOP liaison and good friend), Deborah and Hood (Rotarian fellows from Kampala). Great food and conversation – we didn’t get back to our residence until 10:00pm!
Now onto our account of today, Tuesday, August 3rd, 2010. As mentioned above, we awoke early (5:30am) to have a quick tea and be on our way to Mbarara. The drive took us 6 and a half hours on a combination of dirt, gravel and some paved roads! After a stop at the equator (Jessicas first time across the equator!!) for some pictures and souvenir shopping , as well as a few traffic police stops, we arrived at the beautiful Lakeview Guest House in Mbarara. We had a quick stop to get changed and have a bite to eat, before heading to the hospital for meetings and a through tour of the current campus, as well as a brief view of the new 600 bed building in progress. We will update more on the specific initiatives that we are working on and the Mbarara Hospital team tomorrow.
Now off to dinner for some Matoki (traditional Ugandan dish made from plantains – delicious and satisfying!)

Saramin, Marnie & Jessica