Hi Folks!

(I started this last night, but petered out, so I'm back at it tonight!)

I finally have a moment to catch my breath, and I have so much to share with you all. I got home a little over a week ago, took a couple of days to get back in my time zone, and then hit the ground running with 6 days of work in a row. Whew!  

I arrived very late in Nairobi on Sunday, meeting Rachel and Harriet (the new Midwife Director for the birth center in Uganda) at the airport. The driver that was hired to pick us up was lagging and we finally arrived at our hotel sometime after 1am, managed a few hours of sleep, then met our group in the lobby at 5:30am. The conference opened at 6am and our presentation was scheduled to start at 7am, so we needed to get registered and sorted early. 

Rachel, Harriet and I

The initial presentation went very well, and we ended up with a little over 100 attendees. The Community of Practice (CoP) members each gave a brief presentation and then after a short tea break, we reconvened, separating into round table discussions. I was leading the round table for ultrasound training and had the chance to speak with some individuals from Kenya, Rwanda and Malawi. The feedback from our presentation was good and led us to multiple discussions within our CoP on how to expand our program. We collected a list of emails from the participants, and the CoP will be following up with them at some point.

 

Once our presentation was complete, the group scattered to attend some of the numerous lectures offered. Most of the conference was intended for midwives, so I spent my time shadowing Rachel. She kept very busy attending lectures, networking and looking for potential funding for MHI, and every time she would introduce me, and explain what I do, there was a considerable amount of interest in ultrasound training.

I had numerous people ask me how to get training for their midwives and nurses. Thanks to Rachel, I had the opportunity to meet with the first lady of Kisumu County, Kenya, who is the founder of the African Cancer Foundation. 

https://africacancerfoundation.org/

She was very interested in consulting with me about Breast Ultrasound screenings and potentially creating a training program for her NGO.

All of this interest in ultrasound training at the conference, lead to a lot of brainstorming with Rachel and a big decision on my part. Ever since I began this journey in 2014, I have dreamed of being able to find a way to spend most of my time teaching ultrasound in low resource countries. So, at the ripe age of 60, I have decided to start my own business. 😬 If I can monetize what I am trying to do, I won't have to come home and work like a rented mule to cover my living while I plan for the next trip. I have a lot of work to do, obviously, and I will keep you posted on my progress, but I am going to give it at least a year of hustle and see if I can make it work! My plan is to offer customized consulting services and point of care ultrasound training in low resource countries. I have no intention of getting rich with this project, but it would be nice to make a living, cover my daily expenses back home, and continue doing this incredible work. And every time I start to panic that I may be in over my head, my friends and family cheer me on! Thank goodness for them. 💗 

So, moving right along, the CoP team are trying to coordinate a follow up meeting this week. We have all had a little over a week to jump back into our jobs, and we need to talk about how to move forward.

After the conference, Rachel and I took off to Lamu Island for a few days of respite. Coastal Kenya is absolutely stunning, and Lamu Island is so unique and is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Here are some details about it, thanks to Wikipedia, and some of my photos:

The island of Lamu is a Swahili settlement filled with culture. Prior to the birth of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, people of various countries and regions migrated to the island of Lamu. Traders and sailors from the Arabian Peninsula, China, India and South-East Asia traveled across the Indian Ocean to the East African Coast to reach the island of Lamu.

The Swahili culture is not a single culture or a way of life, it is yet a mixture of traces from European, African, Arab and Asian traditions and cultures. Since the Island of Lamu was visited by many sailors and travelers in the early years of this island's settlement it was able to become a diverse island.

Because of the small winding roads on the Island, residents are forced to walk via foot or by donkey to get to wherever they are going. The use of cars for the general public is banned.

 Swahili food is very seafood focused and insanely delicious! On our last evening, Rachel and I ordered a grilled seafood platter for two that could have fed at least two more people. I'm still dreaming about it! The curries were made with coconut, ginger and tamarind, and loaded with fresh fish or prawns. Lamu definitely has a vibe, and the locals were very nice. The textiles are an interesting mix of African and Arabian designs, with hand woven linens, coastal stripes and Ikat designs. Lovely! There are cats and donkeys all over the island, and just a few Bodas (motorcycles) that are only allowed on a small strip of road between Shela (where we stayed) and Old Town Lamu. Kenya really is a magical country. 

Grilled prawns with chips

Grilled seafood platter (for two!): 2 lobsters, fish, prawns
squid, octopus, and 2 crabs

fish cakes

fresh coconut

Unfortunately, Rachel's connecting flight was cancelled and rescheduled, and we had to leave the island a day early in order for her to make her flight home. We stayed with her family in Nairobi for a night, doing a little shopping (of course), then I moved to a hotel near the airport for another night before flying home. I had a very late flight out, so I spent the morning in the Nairobi National Park, losing my mind over baby White Rhinos! 

Well, I guess I have caught you up! In just a few months, I will be back on a plane, headed to Uganda. My yarn stash pile is getting bigger, as are the blue towels that I have been collecting from my work at the hospital. I'm starting to put together more knit kits for the midwives, and I have to renew my professional license in Uganda, apply for another travel visa, and start working on some additional lectures for advanced training. I have been keeping an eye out on flights, which (not surprising) are very expensive right now. In the meantime, I'm just working away and paying taxes! 😂

For my fiber friends, I am still in need of baby hats and knitting needles (you can check my previous blog posts for specifics), if you are interested in helping out. Thank you! And as always, thanks to all of you for joining me and cheering me on. 

Much love, Jo/MB