"Wow! That's a lot of beans"

As this year comes to close, for BundiNutrition, it ends with a wonderful gift to keep our quarterly distribution of food to our Kwejuna mothers - those who are living with HIV - going for another calendar year. Yes, through the very generous support of friends from my home church in New York City, Redeemer Presbyterian, we can continue to provide our mothers and their families with 20 kilos (about 50 pounds) of beans - grown locally in Bundibugyo and of course an excellent source of protein - along with a 5 litre jug of cooking oil and a 1/2 pound bag of salt, every three months. In 2007, with similar support, we were able to hold 5 such distributions and give out 725 servings of food. Good nutrition is important for all of us, but even more so for those living with HIV. It keeps their immune systems stronger and for those on HIV drugs (antiretrovirals), a stronger body helps these drugs to be more effective in slowing down the process of the virus replicating in their body. So we say a big 'THANK YOU (Webale, in Lubwisi) for this generous gift, to these women and their families, who are among the very poorest of the poor. And as our team leader, Dr. Scott Myhre put it, when he heard about this gift, he exclaimed. "Wow! That's a lot of beans."

PS. This is my last post on BundiNutrition... Sadly, my 2 year term in Uganda is over this month and I am returning to the U.S., but thankfully these food distributions will continue. Now that we have been given these funds, this aspect of BundiNutrition will be in the capable hands of my dear friend and teammate, Pat Abbott.