Sunday was another intense day! Being in a Hospital in Africa, nearly 15 babies are born every day. Chatting here and there, some midwifes whose I became friend with, thought it was unbelievable that a woman my age has never seen a delivery (it is? I guess in our culture I am definitely on average, but not for their culture!), so I accepted their offer of being present during a delivery. And so I did.

The result was amazing, there you go little Ale. 

The mum decided to give to the baby girl my name. Given the high number of children/woman, the choice of the name is one of the last things that are decided basically and not much time is spent on that decision either. So, little Ale, welcome to our world!

Not satisfied yet with all the happenings of the day, I reached some of the students in the primary school next to the Hospital and thought them some…mathematics! 

They were really good at solving the problems I prepared for them so for tomorrow I promise them I will give them some assignments to work over the week and next week end we will correct it all together!

It is now Monday evening at the time I am writing. A new week has begun; work is taking most of my time, looking at financial data from the last years, strategic plans, etc. Because this experience in Kalongo is amazing for so many aspects: the relationships with the people here and, ok, I am still an MBA, the “fun” that comes from participating with my work to some of the strategic decisions of the Hospital.

Afoio!

Ale

Saturday morning was a day planned for…hiking activities! I asked Francesco to come with me to the top of the mountain that dominates Kalongo. He agreed and, in the two days before the trip, every time a member of the staff was hearing about our Saturday plan, he/she was planning on joining too!

So, allegedly a group of two, we then became a team of thirteen people (some students, some people from the administration of the Hospital, some teachers from the nearby primary school)!!!

Alarm clock set at 6am (which is rather EARLY for me for a Saturday morning!)...

at 7am we were all on the path to the peak...

 and, slowly slowly...

, we finally made it in about two hours (this is the view of Kalongo from the top)...

“Someone” was tired (especially since it was my first hike after nearly five years!) and fell asleep...

…but then, all awake, we celebrated our little victory!

Last week 40 students of the Midwifery School associated with the Hospital took their final examination. The entire week you could actually feel the level of tension in the air, when you were jumping into some of the students under scrutiny, they all look stressed out…but, oh well, we all know that special feeling before an exam!!

Finally Thursday everything was done and completed so the students and their teachers decided to organize a last second party to celebrate the end of the year. At the party there were all the students and the program was including, as always, and so pleasantly good local food and amazing dances played with the typical musical instruments…the one below is a picture taken during the so called “Bull Dance”…the name is a total program by itself!

Just look at the student in the front of the picture: that is all the energy that comes out after a period of such tension!

The Midwifery School of Kalongo is one of the most renowned in the entire country for its high level of preparation of the students so, CONGRATULATIONS LADIES! Well done to you all!

Professor Alberto Grando, dean of the SDA Bocconi School of Management, has kindly sent a note in regards to my support here in Kalong, I copy them here below:

Dear Alessia,
I would like to really thank you for your choice of generosity.
I am particularly happy that you decided to continue the service provided in the past by other master and MBA candidates. These kinds of initiatives are fully representing the spirit of solidarity of our School: practicing the values in which we all believe!
All the best,
Alberto Grando

As I wrote to you last, Sunday morning I went to the market. I guess there is not much to say about this. The pictures below show you Francesco and the Administrative Secretary of the office while walking to the market in the centre of Kalongo.

An overview of the market which is basically divided into a section with fruits and veggies and another one with clothes.

I bought some local vegetables there and decided then to cook my first pasta in Uganda with the help of Cecilia, our cook! Result was good and approved!
Cecilia is a lovely lady that has been the cook here for so many years. As you can see from the picture, she is due to deliver within the month and she told me that if it is going to be a baby, she will be called Alessia...nice one eh?!

Sunday afternoon, after the n-th rain I went with Francesco to St. Theresa school where the little girls taught me the numbers in the local language, and I taught them the ones in Italian...little by little by the end of my stay here I may know some sentences!

We went back last evening after work with the map of Italy to show them where we live. They were so enthusiastic and curios about Italy!

And I leave you with a picture of the nature around Kalongo. It's a pity that my camera cannot take nice pictures at night but, the view of the stars from here, it's unbeatable!

Afoio!

Here I am back to update you all on my latest days in Kalongo.

Thursday and Friday have been dedicated to complete my settling down process. Francesco showed me the remaining wards of the hospital which I did not visited yet. I am getting familiar with the different faces and names here, people now recognized me as per “Ale”, since to make things easier, that’s the way I am introducing myself to them. I also learn some initial two words, to greet : Afoio  - which means “hi”, and afoio amate’ that is “thank you”…not sure about the spelling J

I also had a first meeting with the Chief Accountant, Accountant Assistant, Internal Auditor, etc, in order to establish some clear guidelines in regards to my work here which is related with the financing activities of the hospital (I am not going to bother anyone on this regard on the blog!).

Thursday night Francesco and I have been invited to a sitting at the house of one of the midwifes working on the hospital, organized as a farewell for two doctors that spent six months in Kalongo for their specialization. In this occasion I discover than whenever you go to someone’s home the host will share their albums of pictures and the guests are supposed to look at them, it is like sharing stories of life without talking. After everyone that was invited arrived, each of the person made a brief speech thanking the doctors for their great work here and then…the food arrived.

I cannot remember the exact names of the different plates that we ate but there was cow meat, cooked vegetables (cauliflowers, sweet potatoes, another type of potato that could resemble French fries, spinach with a peanut sauce,etc), everything was so delicious. The culture here does not allow the guest to refuse to eat at someone else’s home, but, let me tell you, there was no question I would have ever refused that food!

In the picture one of the leaving doctor with her little girls, which was born here in Kalongo.

Today the entire day has been spent at St. Teresa female boarding school, in occasion of the celebrations for the end of the academic year that here runs from February until November. Parents in colorful dresses to cheer their little girls, a lot of songs, and dances.

It was well known already that Africans have the music in their blood, but when you actually have the opportunity of seeing them dancing and singing you really feel what that means. The beat of the instruments made me move as well (for those that know me well…I have quite the music in me too!). Unfortunately here internet is not really fast, so video uploading will be a pain but I will share some of their dances once back!

Ah, by the way, for those that complains all the time that seasons are not the same anymore, weather has changed, that holds even at equator latitude apparently. November is supposed to be a dry season, but so far the sun has been teasing us during the first hours of the day, then…A LOT of rain, for longgggg!! Look at the students trying to collect raining water to drink, that is another enlight of the culture here!

Tomorrow Francesco will guide me through the local market, I will update you on that experience next!

Afoio!

Hello everyone!

After a long journey I arrived today in Kalongo: my first day…what A DAY!

This morning I have been picked up at the hotel in Kampala by Quirino, who has been helping Fondazione Ambrosoli for many years now and know nearly everyone here!

Kampala is definitely an “early morning “ city, a lot of people around really early, a lot of Taxis…which I discover are those people riding their bike along the street with a cushion on the back side of the back: that is the seat for you in case you want to option for a taxi ride!

We arrived in about 30 minutes to Kajansi Airport, ready to reach Kalongo in approximately four hours.

The landscape from the plane was astonishing: lakes, rivers, bushes, small villages, significant changes of nature flying towards north. 

Finally then arriving in Kalongo. I think there are no words that would explain the welcome that I had at the air strip. Nearly 30 students from the Medical School affiliated with the Hospital to cheer at my arrival, singing, playing bongo, dancing and donating me flowers. Again, no words would be sufficient to explain the joy I was feeling around me.

My reference and guide here is Francesco, who introduced me to the people here and show me a tour of the Hospital, from the maternity ward (always the happiest ward in an hospital!), to the theatre (surgery room ). Was amazed me the most out of this visit today? That I have seen a lot of smiles around me, from everyone, administrators, students, patients.

Few chats here and there at it is already 9:30pm here, I am sitting on my bed, surrounded by a net to protect myself from the mosquitos, since here malaria is really common.

Tomorrow early wake up and Francesco and I will have a brief with Joseph, the deputy super of the hospital, to set up a plan in regards to my work here.

That’s all for my first day, I will return soon with more pictures and some more stories about Kalongo.