Help the Children of Northern Uganda

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Study Tour

Team 2007

Join me on a jouney to discover a really great non-government organization (NGO) called

Canadian Physicians for Aid & Relief

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Partnering with

vulnerable communities

To overcome

poverty
build healthy communities

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CPAR holds that everything is connected

Without adequate forest cover, soils become depleted
Without fertile soil, food production declines, and the threat of hunger increases
Without secure food supplies and clean water, good health is impossible

They’re convinced that

Health is created and sustained by the environmental, physical and social conditions that affect people living in a particular community.

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Canada, like other industrialized nations, provides international development assistance to developing countries in the form of
•goods,
•services,
•the transfer of knowledge and skills, and
•financial contributions
All of Canada's assistance (with the exception of emergency aid and disaster relief) aims to improve the quality of life for children, women and men with sustainable development programs.
None of this makes CPAR particularly unique from any other NGO.
What makes them great (in my opinion) is

• Their word; they do what they say.
• Their commitment to sustainability; no project that I saw or heard about is a bottomless vortex for western money.
• Their indigenous nature;once we were on the ground in Uganda I never saw a western staffer.
So, with that in mind, what are the projects that are in Uganda that our Study Tour visited?

CPAR Uganda Projects

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The gold letter bullet points are the projects the study tour team visited:
•Income generation – looks like micro-credit and revolving loans to small businesses.
•Food Security – looks like crop diversification and agroforestry.
•Water and Sanitation – looks like deep well drilling, healthy pit latrines as well as promoting sanitation and hygiene education.
•Peace building – looks like
•community-based counseling for war-affected youth and their families and like community-based reconciliation initiatives.
•landmine education and awareness. - Looks like learning to identify UXOs and how to report those unexploded ordinences to the national army.

So, let’s begin to take a look at some of these projects.

Food Security

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This farmer is an excellent example of CPAR’s Food Security initiatives. He is involved with Agroforestry.

Agro-Forestry is a collective name for land use systems and practices in which woody perennials
•(such as this farmer's citrus trees)
are deliberately integrated with crops
•(his pineapples and beans)
as a way to manage space and to leverage an economic advantage.
This man was a great guy to spend time with! He was so proud of his farming and thankful to CPAR for the kick-start he needed to get up and running on his own.

Food Security

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This woman’s group waited all day for us to arrive. For sure Africa is all about hurrying-up to wait!!
When we arrived they sang and cheered African styled! Hospitality also often involved a bottle of coke.

At every single CPAR project stop we heard introductions of who each person was and we returned the greeting with who we were and where we were from. At every stop (to the best of my recollection) we signed guest books!
My signature is all over Northern Uganda!

Animal Traction

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The women of the Adyeda Parish were trained by CPAR in Animal Traction (where I come from we call it plowing).
CPAR bought the cows and plow and now this women’s group grow their own crops for market.

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This same women's group was also trained in how to build energy efficient stoves.
In turn these woman go out into their community and teach other woman how to build energy efficient stoves. These stoves reduce the in-hut smoke by (it seemed to me) more than 50% (piped out the hut) and burned the wood at (I think I remember) 1/3 of the usual rate!
Both of these advantages help with the individual’s health and the environment.
CPAR works on the model of “we’ll train you and then you train others." By using this method, reports indicate that up to 800 households are now using energy-saving stoves which are produced using local recycled materials.

Food Security

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More food security initiatives.
From 2005
1. the out put of this tree nursery has increased from 1M to 1.5 M stems of seedlings. They nursery has also increased their seed beds to a total of three.
2.Their membership in the co-operative has grown from 13 to 20.
3.The project has succeeded in attracting customers from beyond their own district. 4.The trees they grow are used for wood fuel and lumber for building constructionand are now in plenty especially as the eucalyptus trees have reached consumption level 5.The Nen Antim co-op has developed a good relationship with the National Environmental Management authority of Uganda
6.The members of the local community can gain casual employment especially at the time of
•potting,
•seedbed preparation and
•seedling packing during marketing season.

With this kind of success the families of the co-operative have been able to
•put up permanent residential houses,
•acquire bicycles to ease transport of their products (if you can call using a bike easy transport) and
•generally improve their own lifestyle standards!
It was a really cool project to be able to witness.
They have Vision for the Future:
•They would love to be able to expand to places even further away and open up branches in those places.
•They’d like to be able to envision a future time when their families and their neighbourhood will have medicinal trees (like the orringa, neem and lodine). These trees will enable the community to combat diseases such as malaria as well as enable them to treat open wounds and general sickness. If they can do this they will be able to participate in reducing the stress on the present lacking health care system (if you can call it that) and the cost to the families for treatment and prescriptions.

The Acholi people are hardworking and a resourceful people. When given the seed money for getting ahead they will get up and go on their own.
There a . . .

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Beautiful

People

in a

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Beautiful

Land

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Beautiful

People

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Beautiful

Land

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Beautiful

People

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Beautiful

LAND

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Beautiful

People

Beautiful

Land

Water & Sanitation

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Water Resourcing and Sanitation Practices is another CPAR project our study tour visited.
Construction of:
•shallow wells and
•deep bore hole wells as well as
•latrine construction
promote sanitation and hygiene education opportunities. The shallow wells can be easily contaminated by what ever is around it. So after building the well CPAR trains volunteers who will train others on how to keep their water source secure and safe from contamination.
Look at this bike! (below)
It’s a one size fits all when it comes to bikes in Uganda.
Each one of these yellow water containers (all water containers were yellow) can hold 10 Litres.

This guy has 30 litres loaded on a bike that’s far too big for him.
We needed a 4x4 to get us to this well.
I wonder how far he has to peddle.

MDD: Music, Dance & Drama

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Clean water, sanitation and hygiene are fundamental to community health and have therefore long been a core component of CPAR’s work.
Basic water and sanitation efforts include
•the construction of water points
using appropriate technologies such as spring cropping (protecting existing springs)
•bore holes (deep wells) and
•rainwater harvesting, as well as
•the construction of improved pit latrines and
•hand washing facilities.

I saw only one hole in the ground toilet that had no water container (with spigot) and soap bar located directly beside the latrines.
Through these efforts, CPAR is helping communities to protect themselves by managing the vectors of disease (I’m still getting used to AID Agency vernacular).

These efforts are also supporting women whose labor burden is reduced when water sources are constructed closer to home.
Hygiene training is also conducted as part of this work.
Once local community groups (clubs) are trained to teach the skills – then teaching takes place using Music, Drama and Dance (or MDD).
The picture in the top left is an academy award winner (in my books). The woman playing the role of the man was brilliant.
This character is the head of one house that will not follow CPAR’s rules of sanitation and hygiene. He/she thinks they’re stupid until he just about dies from a water born illness. After that he becomes the obnoxious neighbour who is telling everybody about CPAR’s clean water, sanitation and hygiene programs and insisting they “get on board.”

I had lots of dance pictures I could have put in here but I decided to give you “Sponge Bob Boy” as a way of reminding myself to show you his dance. I’m sure he is the leader of this threesome and they’re great. Watch…

Armed Conflict Leaves its Scares

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In Northern areas of Acholiland, there has been armed resistance against the government forces since 1986. The only remaining rebel group and the one that has been causing the most devastation is the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA). This army is led by an intelligent and (I’m sure) demonized man called Joseph Kony.

For more than 20 years, communities in Northern Uganda have been devastated by the ongoing conflict between the LRA and UPDF (or government forces). The results of the conflict have been deadly. Thousands including children, have been killed, injured, maimed or abductedwhile more than 1.6 million people have been forced to live in Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) Camps where living conditions fall far below even the most basic international standards.

The deadly results of living in IDP camps has far surpassed the deaths of men women and children in the armed conflict.

Landmine Risk Education

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CPAR was the first Canadian organizations to begin landmines related activities in Northern Uganda and has become a local leader in Mines Risk Education.
CPAR works with Community leaders to establish clubs (teams) in communities and IDP camps who are trained on identifying mines and other UXO’s (unexploded ordinances).
The club members are also trained on the proper protocols for what to do if a UXO is found. These groups (which most often include survivors of landmines), then educate others in the community primarily through Music Dance & Drama (MDD).

They also use T-shirts and posters that serve to educate on how to identify landmines and especially UXOs.
Identifying means leaving landmarks to indicate where the potential threat lie:
1.For the other community members to avoid and
2.For the UPDF to locate

Music, Dance & Drama

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Here are more MDD activities being performed for their foreign guests.
The great crowds that gathered for us also served as another teaching forum for CPAR’s community club members.

Micro Credit & Income Generation

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CPAR supports individuals
(like these two guys and their Ugandan style “Kinko’s” store!!)
in starting small business and income generating schemes through
•skill training,
•small business management training,
•increased access to credit
•small loans and
•through provision of tools and other resources.

Many things are accomplished through this type of support;
the highest being, perhaps, the aid in restoring human dignity.

Micro Credit Con't. . .

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All CPAR projects are specifically designed to become self-sustaining so that the people may become self-sufficient – which also contributes to restoring dignity to the war-torn and emotionally traumatized Acholi peoples of Northern Uganda.

This woman (an amputee) and her husband used the micro-credit opportunity to start this small general store in Pajule
– one of the areas most hard hit by the 20 year conflict.
Income generation initiatives contribute to increased food security and health care
beginning in individual families and
spreading to the community.

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Youth Coalition for Peace

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Originally, I went with CPAR to Uganda simply because they were to be my vehicle to get to the place where I could see and experience the children devastated by war. And just for me – they arranged a tour of GUSCO: a reception centre for escaping Child Soldiers.
Receiving Child Soldiers from the bush is not something CPAR works with directly. As you’ve heard, their work is much broader and far reaching.
However, having said that, you can hardly be an Aid agency in a war-torn area and not have some direct touch on Child Soldiers. This is where Youth Coalition for Peace comes in!

“Happiness tastes like a sweet orange; /Juice that looks as a ripe mango / with an attracting smell of a rose flower. / I wish to live in harmony with joy and a smiling face.”

A few years ago CPAR initiated a project to establish a trial YCFP team. The team was comprised of specific demographics:
•youth from the bush (child soldiers); // Child Mothers;// Amputees// And “regular” youth
The initial training focused on - conflict resolution and - peer-to-peer support strategies as well as - recreation-based peace-building awareness-raising and advocacy - and identifying signs of emotional trauma (eg PTSD).
It was so successful that since then, and in Gulu District, a permanent Youth Peace Resource Centre has been built. This allows for ongoing training and support for this team of young people so that they might be able to keep moving forward in their agenda to instill peace among Acholi families who are receiving back their abducted young people.
With CPAR’s support the YCFP now has a weekly advocacy radio program and is running peace-building programs beyond their original circle of influence.

YCFP Con't. . .

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Here are two of the team members. These young people really grabbed hold of this opportunity to help their people and change their future.
Funding for equipment (MDD and sports) have helped them get into the lives of the people in communities. Last year they traveled to Kampala (in the South) to talk to students from one of the largest school.
They talked about their future as Ugandans and their desire to live in a peaceful, to create a thriving country.
The students in Kampala responded VERY well and quite emotionally as they heard about the trials under which the Acholi people (the people standing in front of them) have endured over their short life time.
Most recently, the YCFP have been given credit to purchase a few pigs so that they can breed and turn a profit to keep filling the funding-well for their programs. They very happily showed us their nice clean, pink piglets. They’re a very strong team that seem to work very well together.
In Uganda (perhaps Africa) there’s a saying about “going to the bush.” It basically means become a rebel group in order to use armed conflict to bring about one’s own political ideals.
Perhaps this group can forever change the phrase “going to the bush” to become “rise up from the bush” to become a country united between south and north.
Just as Uganda leads the way in low HIV/AIDS rates, perhaps she can lead Africa in the way of peace.

Here We Are: Team CPAR 2007

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We enjoyed one another and I think we were a real blessing to the Uganda CPAR team that took a lot of time out of their work for us.

God Richly Bless You CPAR!

CLICK HERE

TO READ ROBYN'S ARTICLE PUBLISHED IN CPAR'S

FALL E-BULLETIN

Day One: Aug 20

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Arrive Kampala 7:45 a.m.
All bags off-board? Well everybody’s except team leader, Claire (thanks Claire for taking the hit for the team!). Everybody enjoyed their own clothes and Claire enjoyed them too!
So here we were all 7 of our 9 member team:
* Claire (fearless and faithful (and great!) leader except when it comes to riding in cars)
* Louise (quietly feisty in her passion and compassion for people and humanitarian needs)
* Hilda (quiet, gentle in demeanor and equally compassionate)
* Dorian (not as quiet and full of happy life and attitude. A champ at sitting in the back, back)
* Amanda (quiet, strong in character (and stomach; worth listening to when she offers an opinion. Alias: Amander or just ‘Mander - amazingly having little to do with her and more to do with our UK component)
* Christopher (The UK component. Not to be judged by his cover - intelligent, adventuresome and not easily rattle. BTW: Geneva (pronunciation /dʒənivə/; French: Genève /ʒənɛv/, German: Genf /gɛnf/, Italian: Ginevra /dʒi'neːvra/, Romansh: Genevra) But haven’t heard of Genever /dʒəniver/! Hmmm?)
* Geoff (pronounced “Joff.” Perhaps the Mike Duffy of the team? Questions, questions, questions for which we were all, grateful and benefited greatly)
* Tuppy (snappy-happy and equally passionate in her compassion for mammals of all kinds. post scrip: mammalia includes humans)

(back row L to R: Louise, Tuppy, Hilda, Robyn, Chris)
(front row L to R: Geoff, Claire, Dorian, Amanda)

The 7 at Entebbe airport made 9 when Amanda joined the team later that night after a harrowing experience travelling from Tanzania to Kampala. Chris joined us sometime in the middle of the night after having slept through his first bus departure in Nirobi! Did I mention that Chris isn’t a morning man?

We had two primary drivers during our two week study tour: Henry (from Kampala) and Pias (from Lira). Our CPAR Uganda representative on tour with us, and my room mate, was Mercy a native Ugandan born in Acholi-land at the infamous Lacor Hospital, Gulu.

After a supper party at the CPAR Kampala office, introductions and a (sleepy on my part) orientation to CPAR Uganda we headed back to our hotel for a sort-of shower and bed.

First Day Impressions

I must be in Africa . . .
o The UN is everywhere
o The roads are red
o Waiting
o Waiting
o Waiting
o Mosquito nets

I must be in an African city . . .
o The traffic . . . well . . .The TRAFFIC
o The people: beautiful, black, lots, hot, sweating, dressed and dressed nice
o Billboards
o “Jams”
o horns
o traffic circles
o boda boda’s (motorcycle taxi)

(CLICK HERE for Day One Webshots)

No Muzungu's Here!

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I told some of you that I didn't think I could ever work for a non-Christian NGO but as far as it concerns CPAR in Ugnada I think I could. I met so many Ugandan Christians! The good news, however, is that even if I did want to work for CPAR there would be nothing for me to do. Why? Because, PTL, CPAR is an NGO whose development philosophy is committed to indigenous work. Only Ugandans! THAT was SO ENCOURAGING. I saw a lot of projects initially funded by Canadian dollars now soaring on their own. We as a team were pretty happy too to see Canadian dollars going to a people that don't seem to want handouts as much as seed money that they themselves may get small business, health projects and peace initiatives up and running (on their own).

Thanks for Your Prayers

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Thank you so much for your prayers.I wish I could have placed more posts but. . .well. . . it was Africa.My trip was very safe. There was only one occasion where we had to slam on the breaks to avert striking a pedestrian. It was too close for comfort.I asked you to pray for spiritual protection. I believe I sensed your prayers. I hardly have the spiritual gift of discernment but, still, I did not sense any spiritual discomfort.

Whose Towel Did I Use??

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. . .that's what I was asking myself when the hotel staff came around after my shower etc to let me know that they had fresh towels for the room. I guess when the staff asked if housekeeping was finished cleaning the room they didn't emphasize finished. So, TIA (This is Africa).

We're at the CPAR office tonight for orientation and supper (Ugandan style - the bread and rice were good). Well, nothing was bad but I'm not that adventurous. YEAH for Kirkland brand TrailMix!

Almost everyone's luggage arrived. Mine arrived. For the one who does not have her luggage she will have to wait until the BA flight -- which is Thursday. It's Monday today.

Too tired to creatively write anything else. Check back in two to three days.

Can feel your prayers - thank you.
7:30 a.m. we depart for Loro. Prayers for safety. Thanks.

Rolling out of Jolly Ol England

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After consuming ten thousand calories in fat and spending almost as much money I'm back at Heathrow and killing time until check in (thank you Lord for Starbucks! and computers).
My visit with Daisy was just great. We skimmed one of the hundreds of National Trust estates getting just a tasted of the old country. One thing I saw and learned about that I never heard before was a thing called a "priest hole." I never knew that one of the results of the reformation (at least in England) was the severe persecution of the priests after the King (Queen Elizabeth?) outlawed Catholicism. All priests that were found were murdered. As a result the Catholic communities in England built "priest holes" in their homes where the men would hide when the Kings men would come and raid. There is still a large blood stain in the carpet Baddesley Clinton from the alleged murder of one particular priest. I wasn't interested in seeing spilled blood.
Following Baddesley Clinton Daisy took me to a wonderful pub for a fantastic (and horribly expensive) supper. She spilled £40 at The Orange Tree!
The following day we went to a great little village called Litchfield. There we were lucky to find a wedding being conducted in the amazing Cathedral of Lichfield. The wedding added a certain beauty to the experience. The church had the greatest set up for kneeling benches - not like what the Anglican Church has in Canada. I had a great time taking pictures in spite of just about stumbling flat onto my face as my balance from being fatigued had not yet returned. Stumbling isn't such a funny thing in and of itself but when you're in a huge (echo'y) Cathedral where there is a wedding in progress and out come what seem definning echo's of someone catching themselves from doing a lip-stand, well...you can imagine.
Apparently every Cathedral has a coffee house and ours served the coveted fruited scones with clotted cream and jam. YUM!!!!!!!!! Then, that evening we had English fish and chips (no signage within a 100 metres indicating anything about "no trans fats." Yikes!
This morning I attended a wonderfully old church site and enjoyed a Church of England service. It was a baptism service and I had the pleasure of watching the minister interact with his parish as he baptized babies and challenged parents. You could tell the parish enjoyed their priest as he paraded any particular baptism candidate around the church. Also, anyone who had been confirmed could go forward for communion. Having appropriated Jesus Christ as my Saviour I considered myself confirmed and went forward. I love taking Communion in an Anglican church. While being a sacred time of remembering it is also a great time of fellowship in the isles as people wait to receive the bread and wine. Oh. . . .and did I mention the bells? They sounded great !! They ring for 30 minutes prior to the service beginning and they're quite loud. Hmmm? Not sure I'd enjoy it if I lived across the street. BUT when the bells stop you KNOW you're late for the service! Perhaps FAC should give it a go.
In three hours I'm off to Uganda so I guess I better check in, find the Starbucks, and make my way to security.
thanks again for your prayers.

Sleepy in London

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I'm killing a couple of hours at Heathrow (for 3£ for 30 minutes) before I board a bus to Birmingham.
They say you learn one new thing at day. I've already learned mine for the day -- SLEEP WHEN THE CABIN CREW TURN OUT THE LIGHTS!!! But what can I say? It was nighty night at 7:00 p.m.! So I read and then watched a movie. I thought it was a brilliant idea to catch 2 hours of sleep before we landed. But - after 40 mins of twisting and turning and finally settling in the BA crew turned on the lights and served breakfast!!!
Note to self . . . when BA turns out the lights on the way down to Uganda - GO TO SLEEP!
My luggage was nicely awaiting me - so no Pastor Laura experiences!
I've also already had a laugh at myself -- I looked the wrong way when crossing the street. (-:
Most of you buy now ought to have the CPAR blog address but if not here it is again: cparstudytour07.blogspot.com
There will be updates about the tour on this site. This is the group contribution site. When I can I'll up date this site.
Thank you ever so much for your prayers!!!
Robyn
1:00 a.m. Calgary time

Front Page

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In a war torn land of 20 years are children who have never known a "normal" life; waking up to a loving family, breakfast on the "stove" and the anticipation of what fun excitement the day could hold. Each day children (and what family they have left) have spend their lives surviving the conditions of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps that their government placed them in 10 years ago. For the past couple of decades, every evening and every morning, children commute to sleep in a safe location because they fear that they too will be abducted to fight and or become sex slaves in the rebel LRA (Lord's Resistance Army). These children have become known worldwide as “Night Commuters”(watch the video). The picture above is of one of the IDP camps we will be visiting.

As some of you know, last October I walked in GuluWalk which is a non-government organization (NGO) that exists to raise awareness for these “Night Commuters” of Northern Uganda. GuluWalk is a great little Canadian organization that is doing great things to effectively raise awareness (interesting projects) and help aid Northern Ugandan’s in helping themselves in and through these difficult times.

My Journey Back to Africa
Since last spring I have read Lt. Romeo Dallaire’s book Shake Hands with the Devil, Immaculee Illabagiza’s book Left to Tell and Ishmael Beah’s book A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier. All of these books are powerful true stories of real people amidst unimaginable real struggle. What can we say? Perhaps more than what Leonardo DiCaprio reminds his friend of in the movie, Blood Diamond, “TIA.” Also, Sometimes in April, The Last King of Scotland and Hotel Rwanda are movies that bring home the reality of “TIA.” (You’ll have to watch the movie. I’m not going to tell you what it means. In that way you’ll get a taste of why these children have become "Night Commuters.")

Reminiscing Africa
I’ve been to Africa before. I loved this continent even before I left for the D.R Congo 18 years ago and my romance for its red earth remains in my heart still. So, when a recent GuluWalk e-Newsletter came to my inbox advertising a tour with Canadian NGO, CPAR (Canadian Physicians for Aid & Relief) I knew within a few hours that I had to go. By Monday morning of that weekend I had my passport application signed and submitted and my cheque in the mail to hold my place with CPAR.

Will You Pray for me?

Click here to request to be added to my “Destination Gulu Prayer Partners” list.
Please indicate if you will pray daily, or every (fill in the blank) days.
I leave Canada on August 15th and return to Calgary on September 9th. (Schedule below)
As long as the current peace talks remain stable, I will be in Northern Uganda for two weeks touring the “on the ground” projects that CPAR has established including the ones that are most important to me (the rehabilitation centre for child soldiers and IDP camps).
At the front end of my trip I’ll enjoy Birmingham, England and on the tail end Dubai, UAE.
I encourage and welcome your feedback on this blog.
Most importantly I hope you will click on my email link to let me know that you want to officially join my “Destination Gulu Prayer Partners.” You can also pray for my other Calgary team members whose names are Louise, Hilda and Kendra. I do not yet know who the other Canadian tour people are. CPAR is not a Christian organization.
Also, the tour is not without its dangers. There are normal travel dangers associated with countries that suffer from tropical diseases etc but there is also the slight risk of war-type encounters. I’ve been assured that the Ugandan’s on the ground know where it’s safe and were it’s not safe and we’ll be with them. Knowing you’re praying, I trust, will grant me great peace should anything unexpected/challenging come up.

My Schedule

Aug 15: Depart Calgary for London
Aug 16: Two days with my best friend's Aunty Daisy in Birmingham, England
Aug 19: Meet up with my team and depart London
Aug 20: Arrive Kampala 7:45am. Afternoon tour of Kampala and orientation meeting/dinner with CPAR staff at CPAR compound.
Aug 21: Travel from Kampala to Loro. Brief meeting/lunch with Loro staff.
Afternoon field visits: Water & Sanitation and Food Security activities. Accommodation at Loro (Oyam) base camp.
Aug 22: Field visits: Model Farmers, Cooperative Tree Nursery and Community Water MDD (Music, Dance & Drama) Presentation. Dinner with Loro staff and accommodation at Loro base camp.
Aug 23:Travel from Loro to Lira.8:30 to 9:30am. Courtesy calls to local officials and meeting/lunch with Lira staff. Afternoon field visit: Alio IDP camp- Sexual/Reproductive Health activities. Accommodation at Lira Hotel.
Aug 24: Field Visits: Aromo and Awere IDP camps – Safe Motherhood and Emergency Water/Sanitation activities. Travel to Pader. Dinner and accommodation at Pader base camp.
Aug 25:Field visits: Mines Action and Peacebuilding activities. Dinner and accommodation at Pader base camp.
Aug 26:Travel from Pader to Gulu. This is a rest day so I'm hoping to be able to visit the Noah's Ark "north" ministry where "night commuters" can go and sleep in safety. That night is dinner with Gulu staff. Accommodation at hotel .
Aug 27:Courtesy calls to local officials. Visit to Gulu hospital and meeting with Youth Coalition for Peace (partially funded through GuluWalk -- this is the organization I walk with every October). Accommodation at hotel.
Aug 28:Field visits to learn about landmines and survivors assistance project and UNICEF/CPAR health project. Debriefing and dinner with Gulu staff.
Aug 29:Travel from Gulu to Murchison Falls.
Aug 30:Safari in Murchison Falls. (Morning Drive & Afternoon Boat)

Aug 31: Travel from Murchison Falls to Kampala.
Sept 1: Visit to TASO Mulago (The AIDS Support Organization)
Sept 2:Rest and Shopping / Tourist day in Kampala. Final meeting/debrief and dinner with CPAR staff. This is the day that I hope to get to Noah's Ark ministry in the south that is an orphange that takes in infants.
Sept 3: Depart Kampala 4:14 p.m.
Sept 4: Arrive Dubai, UAE 12:45 a.m. to visit friends
Sept 9: Depart Dubai, change planes in London and arrive home on the same date (not day)