Blogs from Uganda, Africa - page 12

We have arrived and the adventures have begun, full force. The first week of travel on a continent so polarizing (physically and metaphorically) to Canada has been eye opening at every turn. In cancer treatment, chemotherapy begins with the induction phase, which ideally puts the cancer in remission. High dose exposure. This first week has felt like the induction phase of our trip. Submerging and acclimatizing my mind and body to the Ugandan way of life and developing an idea of what to expect for the next three months. Our first day in Uganda was spent connecting ourselves with back home and with each other while in country. We purchased internet from africell and Ugandan phones (drawing on my early-2000's, T9 skills) to bridge communication gaps. We then took in the botanical gardens and marvelled at ... read more

Made our way from Entebbe to Ssese Islands today. We arrived at the pier to take the 1:00 ferry, but ended up getting delayed until 5:30pm because the truck carrying the fuel for the ferry got stuck! We spent our afternoon hanging out by the ferry and relaxing. A few members of the group got some funny sunburns, but I managed to make it through the day without burning anything. When we finally got on the ferry it was very crowded. We ended up moving around the ferry a lot and talking to a lot of locals. We finally made it to our island resort around 10:00pm, had a quick supper, and we are now relaxing in our rooms. ... read more

Welcome welcome, so glad you're back! As I start writing this post, my computer tells me it's 8 am when it's about 5 pm here in Entebbe. Surprisingly, jet lag hasn't set in despite the 9 hour time difference--what a blessing! (Knock on wood...) Travels were smooth despite the minor hiccups of switching my flight from Saskatoon to Calgary on the morning of the 14th to the evening of the 13th--praise God! I spent the entire journey from Calgary to Entebbe alongside my friend and fellow scholar, Brooke (4th yr Nursing). Casey (brand new RN!) and Anne-Sophie (1st yr Nutrition) joined us at Toronto airport and we set out internationally together. We were later joined by Rayden (1st yr Vet) and Haley (3rd yr Nursing) in the van taking us to the guest house, and Victoria ... read more

May 16th/2019 Well it's official, I have made it safely to Entebbe Uganda, after 29hrs and some odd minutes we landed, I am just thankful I don’t have to it again until August! My first impression of Africa… Beautiful and humid! Green Valley, the place we are staying at currently is very quaint and lovely. I am also so thankful that we have people showing us around and driving us places, thanks Frank!! Last night was the first night in Uganda and the first time I have actually slowed down and thought about the amazing experience I am getting to embark on… but it also hit me how long 3 months actually is!! I have now experienced showering in a shower room, which is not very exciting other than the fact that I couldn’t do it ... read more

The never ending dilemma, “What is my responsibility?” and "Can anything explain why I have the opportunities I do besides random chance?" I am excited to leave Uganda, to go back to normal toilets, access to clean drinking water from the tap, convenience of firm departure times. But how do I forget the power of the American dollar (average rent $40 - $100; monthly income $250, a semester at college $1300), malaria and typhoid, most don’t have access to indoor plumbing or electricity? The things occupying the mind here are things that never crossed my mind: getting water, how to study without electricity, missing a week of school each month because I don’t have menstral pads. While I am not wealthy in the states, I am actually rich compared to the global population. Why? Because I ... read more