Hello everyone!
Hope you’re all well!
The last weeks really have flown by, packed with handover preparations and, of course, good-bye parties! Since 6 from our team are going to leave the project within one month, we decided to combine our parties. The first party was in Gulu. It was a huge party with a whole slaughtered pig and around 130 people or more! We celebrated for 12 hours, starting at 3 pm until 3 am! It was exhausting but also very nice (apart from some of the staff being very greedy when it comes to alcohol and food!) Kyoko and I then had the second party at the camp, in the health center, because most of the staff couldn’t come to the Gulu party. We slaughtered a goat and had a marvelous meal. The party was a bit smaller, with around 30 people but also very nice!
Unfortunately, all my handover preparations have been thrown over board. I’m writing this mail from Kampala, the capital city. I was flown in on Saturday with back problems that go worse ands worse. I had an appointment with a chiropractor yesterday, at the very sophisticated International Hospital Kampala. She diagnosed a sprain of the facet that turned into an inflammation because I didn’t give it enough rest. The bumpy roads didn’t help either. (I guess fixing the holes by just throwing bricks into them an waiting for cars to drive over them, as the Ugandans like to do, isn’t such a good method after all!) Luckily it’s nothing worse, I was a bit worried. But my therapy is supposed to last at least 2 weeks.
So I guess I will be stuck in Kampala for a while and it’s not clear yet if I can go back to Gulu at all, because my contract will be over in 17 days! Luckily, my replacement will be here next week, so I should be able to give her a good handover from here. I’m hoping to be able to go back for a few last days, because I didn’t say good-bye to anyone yet, since my leaving was unexpected and hasty.
What that whole thing means for my planned holidays, I also don’t know yet. I might have to spend my four weeks on an island, relaxing and waiting for the others. We’ll see how it goes.
Anyway, I’m really looking forward to all of you!
Take care
Anne