5/13/2025

Hi Folks!

And just like that, we are halfway through May already! My flight to Uganda has been booked for June (Yeay!), leaving Seattle on June 13th and returning July 3rd. The cost of flying has increased (especially on the more direct flights), so I'll be switching planes multiple times on each trip, making for some long travel times. I won't be flying through Istanbul or Dubai this time, sorry friends, but I'm excited to get back to the birth center. 

I have completed the Phase 2 Week 1 training curriculum and will probably start working on the Week 2 curriculum while I'm there and once I've seen what works and doesn't work about this one. 

I cannot begin to express my gratitude to my wonderful friends and followers. 😍 I have received so many donations of yarn and knitting tools (Thank you Diane, Nan Marie and Marci!) along with the financial donation from Bev, that I believe my knitting kits will be complete, once I finish sewing the bags. 

I have created a knitting tutorial using mostly photos, and I am hoping that the midwives that I work with will encourage others to learn to knit. The yarn is easy to transport, especially using compression bags and packing cubes, and there is a constant need for baby hats for the newborns. I've also been working through my own extra yarn collection, making more baby hats, and I have started a making baby blankets with some of the donated yarn. 

Quite a few of you have offered to support these extra projects and asked how you can help financially. It's such a HUGE relief to take a break from the worry of fundraising for the cost of flights and lodging, thanks to the DAK Foundation. It's allowed me to work on additional ways to help, like the solar lamps and knitting supplies. I will be checking on the solar lamp inventory in June, but in the meantime, there are a few ways to help. One is by making a direct donation to Mother Health International . I cannot continue to do this incredible work if they are unable to sustain the birth center and it is such a much needed and life changing facility. 

I would also like to be able to print at least some of the curriculum training manuals to bring along. I have thought about this a lot, the size and weight of the training manuals make packing them a challenge, but the print quality is better here and much of the manuals are ultrasound photos. At the very least, I would like to be able to print master copies to leave at the birth center, which can be used to make copies and have them bound in Uganda. If you would like to help with the cost of printing, you can send me a Staples gift card, which I will use for this project. My address is listed on the Mailchimp banner, or you can email me (or text me if you have my number) for my address (joahsarc@hotmail.com). 

Well, that's about it for now! As always, I will be sure to keep you posted the closer it gets to my departure. 

Much love and gratitude,

MB/Jo