Hello from Entebbe, Uganda!

I arrived late last night and, whew! What an adventure. I flew from Seattle to London, around 8.5 hours, had a 6-hour layover, then another 9 hours to Nairobi. I landed at 6:30am (Wednesday), and because my flight to Entebbe was booked separately, I had to collect all of my luggage and go through passport control, explaining about my separate flight along the way. I was pulled into Customs, where they were planning on taxing me for my bags (even though they were donations), and I had to show them my papers and explain about my other flight. I had to take a Bolt (like Uber) to a different terminal, which was basically a slightly glorified Quonset hut, but I had to wait in the coffee shop outside until it was closer to my flight. After 5 hours of waiting, I went to check in for my 3:30pm flight with Safarilink and was told that it was cancelled and I should have gotten an email. I did not. I spent the next 1-2 hours simultaneously messaging with Rachel, who is at a conference in Lisbon, and waiting for them to rebook me on a different flight. They wanted me to fly out on a 10:30pm flight, but I had looked up an earlier flight on Kenya Air (a partner) and they said they would book me on that flight instead. After taking the name and contact number of the gentleman who was helping me, I had to get a Bolt back to the main terminal. The first driver looked at all of my luggage and said no. Seriously. Luckily, there was a taxi van nearby who quoted me a reasonable price, loaded up my luggage, and even grabbed a trolley for me at the main terminal. 

Once I passed through security (again!), I went to check in with Kenya Air and there was no reservation. Of course. The next 2 hours were comprised of back-and-forth phone calls with the Safarilink agent and me desperately trying to stay awake. My flight was finally sorted, however, they would not accept the luggage payment from Safarilink, so I had to pay another $300 for my bags. Ouch. Financial donors, this is where your money is going! I am now transporting the world's most expensive "free" towels known to man. My ticket agent told me to wait at Gate 14, but moments before boarding there was a gate change. The board said to go to Gate 16, but the agent at 16 sent me to 19. I was then packed into a middle seat for a short flight to Entebbe. Once my bags were collected, I was again pulled into the Customs office, where I had to explain in great detail who was getting the towels and yarn, and what they would be used for. I was asked to show photos of myself at the Birth Center for proof, but I bought a new phone a week before my trip and all of the photos did not transfer. As I started to panic sweat, I found some older photos of me teaching in Kenya and multiple photos of the midwives scanning at the birth center, which seemed to suffice. The Customs Agent strongly suggested that in the future I come with an official letter from the birth center, describing the contents and number of bags, and that each of the towels should be branded with the name and logo of the birth center, thereby showing proof that I did not intend to sell the towels. 

I finally escaped the airport, found my driver, and arrived at the guest house at 9:30pm. They were kind enough to bring me some yogurt and fruit, after I realized that I had survived the day with a scone, tea, and a protein bar, and I showered and hit the sack. I woke up this morning at 7am, groggy but happy to be here. I had a slow start, breakfast on the patio, then had a 2-hour nap, before an incoming message woke me. Honestly, I could probably have slept all day, but I am forcing myself to get on East Africa time. 

At the moment, I am sitting in the rooftop lounge and restaurant waiting for Allan to arrive with training manuals, having a tea, writing this blogpost, and watching a family of monkeys chase each other through the trees. It's 80°C/176℉, but the weather is perfect up here, because of the shade and the lovely breeze.

My brain is still sluggish, but I am happy to be back here. I may take a walk later or just relax in the lounge. Tomorrow will be another long travel day. Frank will pick me up at 6am and we will start the long drive north, around 8 hours or more, depending on traffic and weather. Usually, I take the small plane to Gulu, and ship the bags by bus, but last time Rachel's bags arrived smelling of gasoline and all of the baby clothes had to be scrubbed and washed. I am not willing to risk all of the beautiful yarn and I'm sick of planes at the moment! 😁 

Allan has been working on getting us more reliant Wi-Fi at the birth center, which is exciting for everyone, so I will check-in this weekend, before the chaos of teaching begins on Monday. 

*I just had a lovely meal with Allan, and I thought I would share his insights about the Ebola Virus outbreak, because I know how concerned you have been. His exact words were "If there is one thing Uganda does right, it's how to handle a health crisis, especially because of the proximity to the DRC and South Sudan." There's a large University here, Makerere University, who is currently working on this strain of Ebola. Here is an excerpt from a 2025 article from the Uganda Virus Research Institute regarding their involvement in viral research:

In a global first in Uganda today, @MinofHealthUG, WHO, and other partners launched a first-ever vaccine trial for Ebola from the Sudan species of the virus, and at an unprecedented speed for a randomized vaccine trial in an emergency. The principal investigators from @Makerere University and the Uganda Virus Research Institute (@UVRIug), with support from WHO and other partners, have worked tirelessly to get the trial ready in 4 days since the outbreak was confirmed on 30 January. The speed was achieved through advanced research preparedness while ensuring full compliance with national and international regulatory and ethical requirements.

Here is another quote from the Ugandan Government:

The Ministry also clarified that the number of confirmed Ebola cases remains unchanged at 15. Of these, 11 are foreign nationals, while four are healthcare workers from health facilities in Uganda. Speaking during a meeting organized by the World Health Organization, Permanent Secretary Diana Atwine said the improved recovery rate reflects the effectiveness of Uganda’s Ebola preparedness and response systems.

I hope this puts you all at ease and trust that I will continue being diligent about my health and safety. 💗

Much love,

MB/Jo