homeward bound...

After a very full 11 weeks or so we finally said our goodbyes to Kisiizi.  On Sunday evening we had shown an old video we made right back in 1993 in Kisiizi so there was great hilarity as people recognised colleagues 18 years ago now somewhat changed in facial appearance and, in some cases, size!

Hanna, Esther and Nancy - it's hard to say goodbye

We enjoyed the usual chaotic last few days trying to cram in meals with different people, summarise key issues in Management meetings, do our last session in morning prayers, say goodbyes and, finally, very late, pack.  Ian had anticipated an easy journey home with minimal bags as much of our luggage coming out had been surgical instruments [2 Caesarian section kits etc etc] and hospital equipment but we have managed to fill up the suitcases going back with hand-made bags for the “bags of difference” programme that helps some of our Staff to generate some extra income by selling the bags in UK.

We had a good journey up to Kampala, the roads are certainly improving with new tarmac in a number of areas.  The first section of 18km from Kisiizi to the tarmac is still rough but at least the worst sections have been graded so much better than when we came.  They are actively working on the tarmac road in a number of places  on the way to Kampala and the quality of the work looks good whilst in the past there was just a thin token layer of tarmac on a poorly prepared surface.

We stayed a night in Kampala with Josephine who is a doctor in her final year of specialty training in Paediatrics ready to return to Kisiizi as a specialist in a few months time. Josephine’s husband is Moses, our Hospital Administrator, so it will be really good when they are back together again after being apart for such a long time.  Jospehine has faced some difficult challenges in sorting out her research project as it took a long time for the supervisors to approve a project and then the one she had to do has proved very expensive as it involves difficult and time consuming tests culturing TB organisms, having 2 separate independent Paediatric Radiology opinions on all her x-rays etc etc.  But it does sound as if it is a really important piece of research to do that will affect patient care in the future.

Last night we stayed in the “Matoke Inn” guest house which is a very pleasant homely haven, and we will go on this afternoon to Entebbe then up v early to be at the airport for 3am check-in before travelling Kenya Airways to Nairobi and then KLM to Amsterdam where we hope to see some of our Dutch family for a couple of hours before the final leg to Manchester.

We really enjoyed meeting up with Francis and Sarah Ssali last night together with their son Emmanuel.  Francis worked with us as a doctor in Kisiizi many years ago and is now a very senior physician in Kampala. We have very fond memories of working with them and it is so good to keep up with the extended Kisiizi family.  Maybe in the future there will be opportunities to work together again...