Blogs from Kampala, Central Region, Uganda, Africa - page 24

"All clinics should have a protocol for all rape victims plus any person man or woman who wakes up in the morning realizing they have been stupid... Next month I will look at post exposure prophylaxis for rape and waking up in the morning realizing you have been stupid... Rape may be emotionally and psychologically horrific but the wrong boy friend can be equally dangerous medically. If you are raped or wake up in the morning realizing you have been stupid, see a doctor immediately. "There are a small number of young, educated, non monogamous, non celibate men who are high risk and interested in you. Their risk may be 3 or 4 times the national average . These YENMNCM's are well known to the Ugandan girls. They know full well these men cannot be trusted, ... read more

The Ugandan wet season rain pours down in sheets as we huddle under an awning outside the main post office on Kampala Road but the sun still shines. I am here to send a few packages overseas, to test the competence of Posta Uganda. It is my first day in Kampala, my first day in East Africa after a month on the Dark Continent. Shoulder to shoulder we stand while scanning the sides where small vendors have set up bizarre stands selling nothing but "Success in your Exams" greeting cards (whose covers feature white couples pre-porn shag in 80s jean cut-offs and wife beaters.) No, thanks. Well.. on second thought... Looking out into the streets, I see hectic traffic blaring with boda-bodas weaving their way in and out. The street overflows with busy people and a ... read more

The last 3 days have been spent driving across Kenya into Uganda the base for our Gorilla Trek. We drove from Kampala to Kisoro on the way hitting a petrol tanker luckily for us not very hard and no one was hurt!! It rained everyday and the mountain roads (mainly mud) were very dangerous. We finally got to the camp very late at night having been up since 3.30am!!! ... read more

The rain is still coming down in sheets as I bound between the puddles, toward the hut. I cower under the overhang to avoid the cascades coming down from the roof and knock on the door. As the door creaks open, the hut draws in the damp night air, exhaling a cloud of pungent wood fire, through which a young lady smiles and gestures me to enter. There are no lights inside and through the haze I see a fire in the corner to which I am drawn. Two women hover over it, their facial features alighted in orange and black. I crouch down beside them as one of them opens the lid of the big pot, exposing my chicken; ardorless in a cauldron of bubbling exuberance. She prods it with a fork and as I ... read more

Yesterday Ben and I returned to the Katanga Slum to conduct a coaches clinic. Ben made an excellent presentation on soccer coaching strategies. Ken asked me to talk about nutrition for athletes and coaches responsibility to serve the community. It's difficult to promote eating a balanced diet and hydration when the players are lucky to eat at all and are forced to consume contaminated water. We did, however, end up with a very spirited and valuable session. tomorrow I will leave "The Pearl of Africa" and will be hanging with Big Ben by late afternoon. What I have found in Uganda is a people refusing to let years of oppression and corruption defeat them. In spite of all the atrocities, the vast majority struggle everyday to break the chains of poverty. Family, education, pride, and honor ... read more