Monkey Brain Musings

 Hi Folks! I'm home, safe and sound. Sorry I didn't check in sooner, gotta love the mind-numbing time zone adjustment! I got home Sunday late afternoon, and I have spent the past few days slowly unpacking, squeezing in a few appointments, and trying to get organized before I am back to work on Friday. I almost wept with joy when I climbed into my bed, but that was after I took an incredibly long, hot shower and deep conditioned my hair. I have washed the Ugandan dust off of all of my clothes, washed the beautiful fabric I brought home, and the luggage is back in the garage. I still have a pile of stuff on my dining room table that needs to find a home, but I will work on that when I am finished here.  Rachel and I are still waiting to see if DAK will donate more machines and offer some funding for the October training. Worst case scenario, we don't get the machines, training is suspended, and I work like a rented mule and start saving to go back next year. We are both hopef...

 Hello, folks! I am currently in Kisumu, Kenya, and I have a lot to catch up on! I was hoping to write to you from Atiak, but storms and power outages made that a pipe dream, so I figured I would catch you up when I was in Nairobi, but that didn't work either! I was staying at a budget hotel near the conference, which technically had internet, but it was so painfully slow that I could never get anything to load on my computer, so I abandoned all hope. I am now sitting at the dining room table of the Governor's home in Kisumu, trying to catch you all up before I take off to work a mobile clinic for the day. Whew! So, let's back up... The final week of training went very well, with only a small hitch. It was me; I was the hitch. The first day of class, during my introduction, I acknowledge the cultural differences between Uganda and US, especially regarding time. I am very clear that I can be very flexible about many things during training (loss of power, too many or too few ...

 Hi Folks, I'm going to start this post with a question...Why is there always ONE mosquito that finds its way into the net at night??? In spite of my nightly ritual of netting the bed before the mozzies come out to play, there always seems to be one little pest that makes it in. I had my revenge when I found him this morning, but I am itchy and busting out the Benadryl cream.  Moving on. Along with the collapse of the dining area, it was an interesting week here. We have started the rebuild and the new dining area will be made with a brick base and metal supports. Much of the grass roofing was salvageable, so that will help, because dried grass is hard to come by in the rainy season. Thank you to everyone who kindly made a donation. Please continue sharing the fundraiser, is you're so inclined. Every little bit helps!  MHI Fundraiser It's crazy to think that there is only one week left of the training. The time has flown by! It's always a bonus when cases come up that w...

 Hello, friends,  We've had some excitement this week. A few days ago, our dining area lost its 10-year battle with the local termites.  Luckily, there was ample warning, and everyone was able to evacuate before the structure collapsed! The dining area is where everyone enjoys meals together and is also used for meetings and social gatherings. Due to global inflation and the rising costs of gas and supplies, building is almost three times the cost compared to last year. I was already talking to Rachel about a GoFundMe for an additional hut, and now I will add the additional cost for building a new (and much more stable) dining area.  I know how generous and supportive you all are, so if you are not in a position to make a donation this time, I completely understand and ask that you please share the link on your social media or with friends who might be interested in helping. Raising funds for building allows MHI to continue using their money to support the midwives a...