Boat ride up Nile in Africa Queen

Today we had a safari drive where we saw many of the wild African animals and then went on a boat ride up the Nile river to Murchison Falls. Andrew Rowe performed an excellent Hippo imitation in the resort pool after our river trip much to our embarrasment. Needless to say Australians will now no longer be able to stay over at Paraa Lodge Uganda. Rowena has upset the team as she was unable to successfully photograph one of only four rare Giant Kingfisher birds we passed on the river bank. Oh dear. Andrew W insists on singing the Lion King warthog song every time we see a WartHog in the scrub, which happened to be in excess of fifty times. Other team members and fellow boat passengers are sick of hearing " when i was a young wart HOG!" multiple times. Moses has also been feeling neglected as he has been excluded from quite a few team shots today.
 Despite all these testing experiences, team morale remains high!
Sorry, due to Uganda technological difficulties we have been unable to upload any photos .

Enjoying Murchison Falls National Park

On the way to Kitgum we are staying over at Murchison Falls National Park. We travelled for about 7 hours on the road today. Picked up in a 4WD by our driver, Grace. The highlight has been seeing the falls and cooling off in the pool here at the resort when we arrived. Tomorrow we go for an early morning game drive and a boat trip up the Nile river. We can hear the hippos grunting from our rooms.

A day in Kampala

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Had amazing day in Kampala today being taxied around through the chaos of what seemed like no road rules and every man for himself. Had the opportunity to meet with Dr Ian Clark a GP who has had many years experience working with the people of Africa and establishing effective health care. He was very helpful in giving constructive advice and encouragement to Andrew that will be very useful to take to Kitgum and future developments for the people there. Andrew was also able to obtain his registration today , that being a miracle in itself. We were told to come back at 4 o'clock and it would be ready and what do you know!!! One minute to 4.00 it was done. Unheard of in this country... So now he is all set ready to go. We went to a food court for lunch no sooner had we walked in and started to have a look at what we were going to have when you are confronted by a person from every shop in the food court with a menu trying to get you to buy their food. Once you sort through this and decide you get waited on like you are in a restaurant they take your order for the food and drinks then bring it to you. You can't get this service at the Carindale food court!! Us boys are loving this, also the lovely lady we are with.

From Dubai to Kampala

Well , we have just driven from Entebbe airport to our guesthouse here in Kampala. The senses are overloaded by sights and sounds of urban african life. Bikes, trucks, minibus/mutato, pedestrians all competing for space on the cluttered and dusty roadway. Sound systems pump out music into the roadside shopping spaces. Clusters of open air shops specialising in furniture, metalwork, beauty salons, car repairs, bicycles, coffins, mobile phones etc. As we approach the city centre, a little street girl comes up to our car to ask for money as our driver argy barges his way around the round about. It is very confronting . We are excited to finally be here in Uganda. Rowena let out a hoopla as she stepped off the plane. I thought she had broken a limb on the steps!  Tonight we will go for a pizza and then go to bed early. Tomorrow I plan to apply for medical registration and  show Andrew and Rowena around Kampala. We head north on Thursday.
We enjoyed a jam packed time of discovery in Dubai on our 24 hour stop over and have posted a couple of  photos.

Team leaving from Brisbane 29th May

On 29th May, three of us are leaving from Brisbane to travel to Uganda.
Team members are : Andrew Wright.  Rowena Rowe and Andrew Rowe.
Andrew is a GP in Wynnum , Rowena is a Nurse currently working in Oncology at PA Hospital  and Andrew is a builder/project manager.

We will arrive in Kitgum on June 5th.  Andrew and Rowena are staying at the guesthouse of Childcare Kitgum Servants  till 22nd June and Andrew until 2nd July. During this time we will be involved in helping with the provision and expansion of health care on site at CKS and also connecting with other local health services, including primary health care and hospital services. We want to build relationships with other health care providers who work in the community.  A new clinic and hospital with emphasis on childhood illnesses and maternal / womens care is about to be built on the CKS site, so this will be exciting to be  a part of.  Andrew also wants to spend some time with health care students we are supporting and mentoring while they are home on university leave.

Please pray for our preparation over the next few weeks.
We are aware that we need to have on the full armour of God as we set out on this mission.
Ephesians 6:13
"Therefore put on the full armour of God so that when the day comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand."

Why Yotkom Uganda blog site has been set up

Thursday, 7 April 2011

Why Yotkom Uganda has been set up

Yotkom is an acholi word meaning "health".
This blog site is designed to provide information on the health needs of the acholi community of Kitgum, Northern Uganda. It is also an opportunity to share about the people working as health professionals there and the projects which are being undertaken in the Kitgum community in an effort to improve the quality and availability of health care .

Volunteers from overseas are involved and will be sharing their experiences , challenges and visions for change.

Our participation in this work is motivated by our desire to love and serve Jesus Christ and be obedient to his commands to serve the sick and poor and be his agents of healing and hope and to be  partners with God in His plan to bring about righteousness and justice.

Micah 6: 8

"He has showed you O man what is good.

And what does the Lord require of you?

To act justly and to love mercy

and to walk humbly with your God."

and as Jesus said in Matthew 25: 40

"I tell you the truth,

whatever you did for one of the least  of these brothers of mine, you did for me ."