The Final Day….

As they say “All good things must come to an end”, but for Rotary and Healthcare in Uganda,this years RFHDs with TRF involved , it is a new beginning !! I write this blog for yesterday as it was day of airports and airplanes and delayed flights ………

Above: The Wonderful Stephen family who hosted me.

After the splendid three days of RFHDs and the gala evening ,the last day in Uganda  saw the three of us from Dist.3140, Sujata, Rima and I  getting all set to depart for Mumbai by the 2.50pm flight.

Above: With host Rtn Angella and husband Nyombi Thembo( Minister of state for Information and Communication Technology)

We said our good byes to our gracious hosts……..The Mwanjes (who hosted me),Angella and Nyombi Tembo(who hosted Rima and Sujata).Dana and Phil had already said their goodbyes to their hosts Joseph and Christine the evening before .The other hosts who made it happen were Dan who hosted Anil and President Godfrey Byewasko who hosted Jack and David.

Mixed emotions  seized me 

Will the efforts we put in translate into a small but definite progress in terms of enhancing skills of healthcare workers and percolation of the same as their shared their knowledge?

A sense of not having spent enough time with our hosts due to our hectic schedules……….

A sense of  satisfaction at having imparted knowledge to those who were looking for it ……….

A deep sense of happiness at having interacted with the Uganda family of Rotary who were very generous in their affection and love ……..and who gave off  themselves most selflessly

A sense of deep gratitude to all those who made it happen………………

Pride in The Rotary Foundation

I would not think this experience complete if not for the wonderful people

PDG Stephen Mwanje, the pioneer of RFHD
Dr Raymond Byaruhanga, the nucleus of the Training of trainers at AIC, Kampala
President Godfrey Byewasko, the host club of GG 26306
Rtn Godfrey Ssebukulo, The RFHD country chair
VTt chair Rtn Florence for her arrangements for the VTT
Rtn Marion, a young Rotarian who would make things happen as if by magic
All our terrific hosts
The VTT members : co-leader Philip Silvers, Drs Jack, Anil, Sujata, Rima, Senior nurse practitioner Dana, Lab manager David. Each of them played their role superbly to create a cohesive team that functioned in tandem to train and educate .The challenge faced by this VTT was that they were from two different continents ,that one half never met with the other half or had preparatory meetings as it would have been with other single district VTTs. So our actual ground preparations began when we met and interacted with each other .Our cultures, education systems reflected two different worlds .We were to function in a third different world …….but all eight of us knew that mankind is our business and that was the glue that bound us together. As with all teams that think and are professionals, our differences and deliberations brought us together and made the whole experience lively and significantly meaningful. Phil with his dogged determination to develop a sustainable model and make the RFHD-TRF association strong, “cool”Jack who was always ready to adapt to any situation ,Anil for his invaluable role in training trainers in SMCs, pleasant Sujata for her contribution to training the HCWs in cancer detection of breast and Cervix and Tubal ligation , the young Rima for being there for training and working in the dental part of RFHDs, dynamic Dana who played a pivotal role in helping out with cervical cancer detection with her group of midwives whom she had literally adopted, David with his flair for interacting with people and helping out at registrations .
The Rotary Foundation for giving me this privilege to lead such an erudite, august team and also giving me this opportunity to use my expertise to train lab technologists in varied areas …………..
Districts 9200,7890,5500,3140 for making it happen

MOH for being a sturdy partner in executing RFHDs

Stephen dropped me off after a fond family farewell at Angella’s home from where we were all driven to the airport in their Range Rover. As we took off from Entebbe and Lake Victoria grew into a dot, I knew that something in me had changed for ever…………….