special needs and pen caps

This morning after bathing and dressing the children and walking them to school, I made lunch for our day at Katalemwa Home for children with special needs.

In Uganda having a child with a mental or physical disability is extremely frowned upon ( as if it were a choice), often the father leaves the mother after bearing a child with a disability, blaming her for the child's condition. The family often hides the child in the home to risk being shunned by the community.

Luckily Katalemwa is making great strides to improve the persona of these handicapped children. They invite not only the child to come for assessments, therapy and schooling or play, but also the family so that the parents can learn how to care for the children at home, what exercises to do with them to strengthen limbs or correct a limp; of course not all the diseases are fixed easily, if at all, but Katalemwa does as much as they can. It does cost the families some money but they are getting food, housing and therapy for their child and that is so important. Unlike in the states where disabled people can get social services and support the Ugandan government doesn't acknowledge the need by offering similar programs.

I love the consideration of sustainability, community and changing this negative stigma of the disabled children that Katalemwa offers to Ugandans!                                                     9.6.12

It is Saturday, not even 10 pm, and I am wiped! I think I am having an allergy to something, perhaps in my room, which makes me weeze and cough a bit, but its so much better than getting malaria.

So the fears they instill in you: malaria, well, I have yet to get bit by a mosquito or see one, I guess my morning application of OFF! Deep Woods is working (haha got one this morning {Sunday}), either that or they want to scare you enough that you take it seriously, which I am, but it doesn't seem as much of a problem in the city. Another fear that many had for me was the people, not knowing them (outside of the orphanage) and not fitting in, well, at least daily I get, "Hello Mazungu" (I might change my name), but everyone is super friendly and happy to see you and hoping to sell you their goods or services.

This morning we took the children to get some immunizations at a clinic, most of them are so brave and don't even cry when they are getting their shots, they come out ready for you to read them their next book or play something with them. I'm quite impressed, although we did have an issue with Carol, the smallest girl, who usually is bouncing off the walls with excitement and joy, ended up coming down with a fever of 106!! And she is soo tiny! Luckily at the hospital she was checked out and given a clean bill of health...no malaria, and some asprin to help bring down the fever.

The most frustrating thing about the children is that they put everything in their mouths, a pen cap on the floor, a piece of thread, garbage, stones, literally everything!! I am really going to have to come up with a lesson on hygiene and what is appropriate. Apparently I am the most-teacher like of all the workers and missionaries (thanks mom for passing that gene and some lesson plans along to me), I'll speak more to their teaching style and how it differs from ours perhaps next week, I think I am going to school with the children this upcoming week to teach a lesson, or at least help...oh boy!!      9.8.12