TASO: Day 1

So much to tell in only a short period of time! My first weekend in Masaka at my host family’s house at its high points and its interesting points. First, my host dad comes home on the weekends and the whole dynamic of the house changes. My host mom becomes a lot more quite and reserved, the children eat on the ground on a mat, and when the house-girl wants to speak to him she kneels until he tells her she can approach him. He is very serious and demanding. He slept all day Saturday and I only really saw him when it came to eating or watching tv (maybe Uganda isn’t too different from America? haha). On Sunday I went for a very long walk because I decided to find a secluded route away from the main street before I start running, of course I was with another girl. We ended up doing an interesting hike through this humid bog and up this high hill. I came home muddy and red as a tomato! I keep forgetting that not only does my Malaria medicine make me more susceptible to the sun, but the sun here is so strong because we are on the equator. Lesson learned. I am farmers tan central over here! My family ended up not going to mass because they held this very intense business meeting in the barn while my host dad was home. They spoke about prices and what not, they wouldn’t tell me anymore than that. The house-girl/manager of the farm then asked if I wanted a tour around. FINALLY! She let me walk through ALL of the chicken coops and told me I could touch them. I kindly refused having images of homeland security asking me if I was around a farm at all during my trip...of course I wasn’t! Then we went to see the 59 pigs, normal. But holding a one week old piglet was something I couldn’t refuse! There is also a farm of beans, matoke, maize, eggplant, and potatoes. Oh they also sell their eggs, make their own wine to sell, make sweaters for school uniforms, and everything else you can think of. However, today is the most exciting news to report. Please parents, family, and friends don’t freak out. My first day at TASO they asked if I wanted to work in the lab. I thought maybe to do paperwork. No. They actually gave me gloves, a lab coat, and a mask to handle the blood samples. I was taught how to do HIV testing, Malaria, TB, Pregnancy, and Syphilis testing. They gave me so much responsibility within thirty minutes. As excited as I was, the strips coming out positive brought me back to reality. To me, the strips and tubes just had numbers on it but I couldn’t help but to think of the person whose life is about to change forever. I wanted to know what they looked like, if they had a family, how old are they, etc...We then had to fill out the paperwork corresponding with the results and I was able to see. Some were old but some were very young. It really put everything into perspective of where I am coming from and how different my life could be if I was born into their reality. When one is HIV positive, their CD4 cells have to remain above 200, but if they fall below they contract AIDS and their body is no longer able to fight off simple illnesses. One of the tests came out with a CD4 cell count of 12. It is all so exciting and exhilarating to be here but more of a humbling, reality check. The lab techs really liked me and requested that I not be moved around to another area but my boss wants me to visit every office in TASO to see which I prefer. Tomorrow we do community outreach to rural villages that are too far for people to walk. They are soo remote that we have to travel by motorcycle, which iv heard is an experience I can’t pass up on these dirt roads. I am sure there will be soo much excitement this week and I will write soon. I hope everyone enjoys the holiday and relaxes a bit! I miss everyone and love to hear your kind words/comments (shout out to Mom, Dad, Shannon, and mystery writer?). 

Ahhh they also made me eat three grasshoppers!! Not too bad but not good. 

At the Equator!