A TINY bit of news, but it is good stuff!

August 17?
Good News!!! The Minister of _______ in Kampala (I cant keep them straight, but he has something to do with our equivalent of Social Services) accepted my concept paper and pending a full proposal, yesterday agreed to give us one acre of land for our orphanage and training center. We really need a minimum of three acres for gardens and animal rearing to make it truly self sustainable—my paper asked for five—but with one acre in hand I feel like I have a better shot on securing the rest. Woo Hooooo!

Greg, Son-in-Law Extraordinaire, generously secured two nights at the Kampala Sheraton at his employee rate for my last two nights in Uganda. I am excited. My plan is to enjoy a genuine shower and eat food other than matoke, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and spaghetti (starch) in the evenings. As good as those things are, perhaps something green in color on my plate would be welcome. . . I plan to use those two days visiting the American and Irish Embassies to discuss their community granting process, and to put an actual “face” on any future proposals with the staff. Paul has also asked me to help him put together a paper for the Ministry of Health, on behalf of community mental health services. This is actually just one step in what needs to be a country-wide policy and attitude change toward mental illness. If that is done in time (chances are it will be since I have so much time on my hands right now), then I will try to deliver that as well while there.

Spent most of the day working on a website—or at least writing for the website. That filled up what would be an otherwise boring day. Late afternoon I thought I would scream and had to get outside. Scovia grabbed the baby and a mat and the three of us lay under a tree next to the road, and became the impromptu entertainment for anyone walking up the road. There aren’t a lot of Muzungu’s hanging around under trees in anyone’s village!

August 18
I agreed to meet John this morning for one hour at the Colline to start instructing him on how to write a business plan and Fundraising 101. (Open air…no enclosed spaces…no crowds…I continue to follow doc’s instructions.) He was there early. Good thing too, because I would have totally written him off had he not shown up today. I cant help but like this guy. He is so genuinely caring. But for all of his good intent, he doesn’t have a business bone in his body to carry him through.

When I first saw John this morning he looked ill, and he said he had a headache. Later I learned that his headache and lack of appetite had almost forced him to go home in the middle of the day yesterday. He said he had never before quit in mid day, so he stuck it out. I asked him if he thought he had malaria and he said shrugged his shoulders. I suggested he go get tested and he sort of agreed, but was pretty vague. It became obvious that he wasn’t going to get tested, but didn’t want to lie to me about it. Midway through our visit it suddenly dawned on me that he wasn’t going to get tested because he had no money! I asked him if he would get tested if I paid for it. He was embarrassed, but accepted. I gave him 15,000 (about $7.50) for testing and am waiting to hear back from him.

I am surrounded by malaria. Momma Africa was on her way here but is now stuck in a clinic in Kampala—diagnosed with malaria AND typhoid! She still thinks she will be well enough to travel here by Friday. Yeah, right. I read in the paper yesterday that 80,000 people die every year in Tanzania. I wonder what the stats are in Uganda?

The Ugandan Phone Trick
Numerous times I pick up my phone and it says I’ve missed a message from one of my Ugandan friends. Or the phone rings once and then just registers a missed call. I have finally figured out that they call my number, let it ring once, and know I will eventually call them back. This way, any conversation is charged against my phone and not theirs. I don’t mind. It is just that it took a while for me to figure this out.