Hello friends! I hope you're all well. It's hard to believe that I am already nearing the end of my time here. Next week will be the final week of training, with the scanning evaluation on Friday. I will spend the weekend here, then drive into Gulu ealry Monday morning, catch the small plane back to Entebbe, spend the afternoon at the guesthouse and start my journey home Monday evening. The midwives are doing well, although they don't seem to think so! The curriculum is mutlilayered, so when they get something down pretty well, I add something else...which is where their fristration comes from. I'm actually very proud of them and how well they are doing. They have a wonderful attitude, work very well together, and keep trying even when they're frustrated. I also feel like the curriculum is really where Rachel and I want it to be. I'm still putting in long hours of teaching, but it's worth it, and Max has been a good addition.

Last night, the children who live at the orphanage next door put on a show of traditional Acholi dance, with many of the midwives and guests joining in.

This morning was a leisurely start for me. I swept out the hut, had some breakfast, then finished a baby blanket I was working on. I strolled up to the dining area to check on our visitors, who are leaving this afternoon, then was called into the birth center to scan a patient. Now I am relaxing in my hut and will start another knitting project when I'm finished chatting with you folks. I do have some exciting news to share! For the last few months I have been talking with the organizations DAK International Network and One Heart Worldwide, and here's what happened... "We’re delighted to introduce two new members who will be supporting our growing multi-country Maternal Health Ultrasound Community of Practice. Mariella Munyuzangabo is based in Rwanda, and joins us as Maternal Health Coordinator, and will be leading the overall coordination and partnership engagement across our global network. Mariella brings over a decade of experience managing health programs in complex, multi-country settings across East Africa. She has worked extensively with ministries of health and NGO partners on systems strengthening, training, and program implementation, and will help us oversee cross-country communication, Community of Practice meetings, and encourage policy engagement to support the scale-up of basic obstetric ultrasound. Jo Clancy, is based in the United States, and joins as Maternal Health Specialist, and will be providing technical leadership on ultrasound training and quality assurance. A registered sonographer with more than 13 years of experience, Jo has designed and delivered point-of-care obstetric ultrasound curricula across Haiti, Honduras, Uganda, and Kenya. She is passionate about building the capacity of midwives and frontline health workers, and will guide curriculum alignment, mentorship, and cross-country learning within the Community of Practice. She has been working closely with partner Mother Health International for the last couple of years. Together, Mariella and Jo will serve as key points of contact for our Community of Practice — facilitating collaboration, supporting technical exchange, and ensuring our collective efforts continue to advance safe, accessible ultrasound for mothers and babies in rural and remote settings. They will be leading the coordination of our panel at the IMNCH in March 2026!" Although it is technically a paid position, it's practically pro-bono, but I am excited for the opportunity to get more involved with these organizations and beging working with clinics worlwide. MHI is part of their Maternal Health Ultrasound Community of Practice, so I can continue to work with them and help them expand in Kenya. All good stuff!! I'll leave you with a few photos, I forgot to share my delicious meal from the Ethiopian restaurant in Gulu.

I'm going to spend the afternoon knitting with the midwives and bidding farewell to our visitors. I'll check in again before I leave for home, only 8 more days! Much love, Jo/MB