Hello dear friends!

I can't possibly be the only one who is gob smacked by the fact that we are nearing the end of November already, days from December. I have been working more than planned, as the hospitals continue to be overbooked and understaffed, which may also explain the rapid passing of time. You will have to forgive my rambling, but I am not only exhausted but long overdue for a blogpost, and I miss the connection I feel when I get a chance to share my plans and goals with you. 

Today would have been my parents wedding anniversary and I am about to get through my first holiday season without them both. My mother loved this time of year, whereas my father was fondly referred to as the Grinch of the family. Mom and I would drive around looking at Christmas lights, find a local Tea House to have Holiday Tea, decorate the house together, and I was often in charge of helping mom choose the photos for their Christmas cards. I am doing my best to embrace the holidays in their honor and determined to find some joy in these cherished memories.

I am also moving rapidly forward with my plan to return to Africa. I have booked my flight, leaving February 20th and returning on May 6th. I will spend 5 days in Istanbul and 10 weeks in Africa. Yep, you heard correctly, 10 weeks! I would love to give you more details about where and what I will be doing once I get there, but it's a mystery to me as well. The last I heard from the Uganda team was that they are really looking forward to having me back for such an extended amount of time and they are scheduling a meeting to brainstorm how and where to use me. For the most part, having worked with non-profits for decades and being a medical volunteer since 2014, I am used to flying by the seat of my pants... but it makes me crazy! 

ITW offers training and works with 5 clinics in Malawi, 18 clinics in Uganda, and 5 clinics in Kenya, as well as the Consortium for Health (CHI) in Kampala where I lectured on my last visit. I am open to travelling anywhere they may need me, but the fact that I will be paying for everything and everywhere I go may limit my flexibility on such an extended trip. In the meantime, I am collecting supplies, will be giving a presentation about my volunteer work in a few weeks, and will start working on potential lectures once I get through December. 

ITW works with 3 health centers on Kalangala Island, Uganda, which is a potential site for me to visit while I am there, and Picho was able to give them some of the towels I brought last spring. I continue to bring home towels from the hospital and have hundreds that I plan to bring back with me. 

As a smaller NGO, ITW is struggling to continue supporting the Uganda programs, with no current Grants available and soliciting donations being a continuous challenge. This year, the Ugandan government passed one of the world's harshest anti-LGBTQ laws, seriously jeopardizing the nearly $1 billion annually that the U.S. Government, as well as independent financial institutions, invests in Uganda’s people, business, institutions, and military. I have been asked to be extremely restrained about discussing my feelings about this law in conjunction with my association with ITW, who must maintain a cordial relationship with the Ugandan Government in order to continue working there. This is a case for trying to separate the people from the Government in order to continue helping the people, but it is not something that is easily navigated. I am constantly reminding myself of the direct positive impact I have on the people I work with in Uganda, and I am heartbroken over the impact this law will have on the entire population. 

In the meantime, I will continue to fundraise and plan for my return trip, dragging you all along. :) If at all possible, please consider making a donation to either myself or directly to Imaging the World and share my story with a friend. You can access everything through my linktree below:

https://linktr.ee/monkeybrainjo

As always, thank you for sharing this adventure with me and I will keep you posted!

Much love, Jo (MB)