BundiNutrition: Surviving and Thriving

Beauty from Brokenness

2009-05-30T09:04:00.001+03:00

Nathan Elwood here, one of the new faces on the BundiNutrition team. I’m working with the BBB program, and outpatient nutrition program for children with moderate acute malnutrition. These are kids who are between 70-85% of the weight that they should be, given their height. Children who qualify are enrolled in the program for ten weeks, during which they receive locally produced ready-to-use peanut and soy food weekly. The children are weighed at each distribution, and community volunteers teach a nutrition lesson to the parents in attendance, which we hope will have a longer-term impact than the food that we’re providing. Between the two sites from where we run this program, we currently are able to have 50 children enrolled at a time.

The first 10-week cycle recently came to a close, and I thought it good to look back and reflect on how it’s going at this point. On a week-to-week basis, I’m often frustrated by what seems to be a lack of growth or progress: children gaining some weight one week, losing some the next; children showing good growth, but then getting sick and losing it all; weight gain that seems too slow to be much of an improvement. These frustrations have, at times, caused me to wonder if the program is worth it, if it’s having any real effect on these kids’ lives.

When I went over their weights at the end of ten weeks and calculated their weight-for-lengths, I was stunned. Out of the 17 children who finished the program that week, all but one had risen over the 85% mark, out of the acute malnutrition range. The truly amazing part is this: many of them had risen from less than 85% weight-for-length to over 100%! I had to laugh with joy. Seeing these children at the start of the program, thin, bony, and sickly-looking, I couldn’t have hoped that they would reach a normal healthy weight in just 10 weeks. It was simply beautiful. Seeing these kids putting on weight, the world seemed to be a better, more beautiful place. The world felt more right – this is how children are supposed to be.

So, as the program rolls on, I’m encouraged by the progress that so many of the children from the first round made. It brings new meaning to the work and shows me that, despite numerous frustrations and difficulties, the program can have a transformational effect on children’s and families lives. While there will always be more sick and hungry children than we can care for, I find the world a more beautiful place for having seen these ones go from malnutrition to a healthy weight. I wish you could see the beauty of it for yourselves.

March Goat Distribution

2009-03-26T07:30:00.005+03:00

This past Thursday, Lamech and Pauline distributed 24 high-grade dairy goats thanks to the generosity of our donors! An additional 9 beneficiaries will receive goats but were unable to make it on Thursday. Each recipient attended a two-day training and constructed a shelter before receiving their goat. Lamech was able to find enough high-grade dairy goats in Bundibugyo, thanks to the buck stations throughout the district, and previous goat-recipients, who returned the first-born offspring to our farm!

Lamech asked the beneficiaries to arrive at 9:30 am. In true African fashion, we had a quorum around 10:30 am. Lamech gave a few words of instruction and I prayed along with several of the beneficiaries. Then the gates to the pen were opened; Jackson began wrangling goats and distributed one by one. The traditional serious face each woman made when I took their picture is not indicative of their feelings. As soon as their picture was snapped, they dropped the pose and the large grins returned as the chatted with Pauline and Lamech.

This was the first of several distributions we’ll have throughout the year. We’re hoping to place a few more high-grade bucks throughout the district as well!

Again, to those of you who gave money for goats, on behalf of myself and all of the beneficiaries: Webale! Wasinge! Thank you! (Thanks expressed in Lubwisi, Luconjo, and you guessed it, English)

Christmas Goat Giving

2008-11-28T14:08:00.003+03:00

We are so thankful for more than 100 families who received dairy goats in 2008, funded by the generosity of our friends and supporters in America. Once again this year we are offering the Give-a-Goat opportunity. For $130 we can purchase and transport a specially bred dairy goat here in Uganda, train a family in its care, give them a few tools for constructing a simple shed, and then allow them to take the goat home. Thanks to this project, many children who otherwise would have starved, can thrive—drinking the calories and protein they need. Most of our recipients are babies whose mothers have died, or whose mothers are infected with HIV/AIDS and therefore need to wean them from potentially infectious breast milk.

Your donation is a gift to a family which is about as close as one can come in 2008 to that of the homeless and wandering parents of the infant Jesus, living on a slim margin of survival. The first 100 donors will receive a hand-made African Christmas tree ornament which symbolizes the real gift of the goat. Please put it on your tree to remind you that Christmas is all about incarnation: love in bodily form, God becoming human and needing milk, your generosity translating into a real live animal and its milk.

The mechanics:

1. Use the "Give-a-Goat" button on our sidebar (or at www.whm.org) to donate by credit card. This is the simplest and fastest method, and allows our colleague Ginny Barnette in the Sending Center to quickly confirm your donation and address and mail you the ornament. Here is the direct link : http://whm.org/project/details?ID=12375

2. Send a check to WHM Donation Processing Center, P.O. Box 1244, Albert Lea, MN 56007-1244, writing "Goat Fund 12375" on the memo line. Since the processing and return of the information to Ginny could take a couple of weeks, you may want to email her (GBarnettte@whm.org) in order to be sure you receive the ornament before Christmas.

3. If you would like the ornament mailed to a DIFFERENT address than the one on your credit card or check, you must also communicate this to Ginny. A card will be included with each goat describing the program.

To Whom Does it Belong?

2008-11-22T09:31:00.002+03:00

To whom? To whom? To whom does it belong?

Hands on hips, bobbing up and down, Heidi and I chant in unison with the other thirty volunteers who showed up for Lamech’s seminar on ownership and sustainability. We were utterly clueless as to why we are chanting, and why we are chanting this particular phrase, but no one else was having similar qualms. Apparently, such “energizers” are common in Ugandan seminars. It’s pretty impressive when you think about it, because it definitely would take more than two minutes of chanting to keep me refreshed and focused through a 7-hour seminar.

Pauline, Lamech and Baguma Charles, entirely on their own initiative, organized this training for the BundiNutrition volunteers and a few other key farmers in the community. Many of the attendees were members of the four BBB production teams, others were volunteers from the Busunga/Bursaru outpatient nutrition programs, or buck keepers from around the district. They listened attentively and participated actively. The morning was spent brainstorming what makes an effective team, and ways for the production teams to be self sustaining if BundiNutrition is not around some day. The afternoon discussion centered around brainstorming micro-enterprise ideas with a focus on local chicken projects.

Heidi and I agreed that one of the best things about this seminar was that (other than organizing the lunch) we had nothing to do with the planning or execution. Often there can be a disconnect when we Bazungu come in with our ways of thinking. In this case, Ugandans with a wealth of knowledge and creative ideas were effectively encouraging and educating each other.

When we’re discouraged with the state of the district, it’s a privilege to glimpse how God is truly working in the hearts and minds of community members.

The Unsung Heroines of Motherless Babies

2008-11-02T15:15:00.004+03:00

Dear Readers,

These two motherless babies are cared for by some of the unsung heroines of Bundibugyo, Grandmothers! These two babies born were born one day apart and have just turned 6 months old left to right: Ategheka Francini (the Italian Mubwisi) and Batigwa Bususanna. Their mothers died after giving birth to them and their grandmothers came to the rescue. Both grandmothers have nursed their babies in the hope of producing milk after years without having children. One of these has been more successful at providing breast milk than the other. Grandmother Francini came to us the very day his mother died and received milk and Dr Jennifer's attention. Grandmother Bususanna came days later and received the same kindness and care.

I wanted you to see the faces of these heroines who carry on their backs baby, milk and beans to and from their homes deep in the village to receive medical attention and support for their grandchildren, sometimes great grandchildren.

Once when we were waiting for the motherless caretakers to receive medical attention, I asked the volunteer staff, "Which baby would you choose to be if you could be any one of these babies and be cared for by one of these grandmothers?" We all had different answers because we each saw such wonderful nurture and love displayed by several of these amazing heroines. I thank God for the selflessness of these women who lay down their lives to care for these motherless babies. thank you too for the generosity of your gifts that enable us to give milk, beans and vitamins to many children in the Nutrition Program!

Batende Evaline's Photo

2008-10-27T12:50:00.008+03:00

oops! sorry folks i am new at this blogging thing. so let me try and attach Batende and Kazini's photo with their goat they received in April! pat abbottfile:///Users/pat/Pictures/iPhoto%20Library/Modified/2008/Roll%20184/IMG_0360.JPG

A Timely Rescue

2008-10-26T22:01:00.001+03:00

A Timely Rescue
I (pat Abbott) was in the ART (Anti Retroviral Drug where people living
with HIV receive their life extending drugs and education about HIV) clinic
last week and met a young 25 year old, veteran Kwejuna Mom (HIV+) named
Batende Evaline. Evaline was admitted in the Hospital in a very bad
condition. She was not eating or drinking because everything she put in came
back up. I was devastated about her condition wondering how she slipped so
quickly into such a state without our notice. (I had personally handed her a
goat in the April distribution. See photo) I sought out a counselor and
advocated for her to get the ARV Drug Counseling so that the next week she
could be initiated on the drugs in the clinic that will extend her life. I
prayed for her many times over the weekend and returned on Monday to see how
she was doing. She was NOT there, she had gone home. I was sure this meant
she had gone home to die.

The next day I was in Evaline¹s home area of Bunyangule for an HIV/AIDS
Education Out Reach and asked the PEER Educators (HIV+) friends if they
could take me to see her. I was nervous expecting the worst. We crossed two
rivers on our 20 minute journey to Evaline's father¹s home where she lives.
We were welcomed and given seats. I spotted her among the 7 or 8 adults and
her one year old Kazini Robert toddling around. She came and sat down with
us. She smiled and she was so shocked to see me. She told me that her
stomach was feeling much better and she was drinking goat's milk and juice
with no problems. She was so delighted that we had come to see her, she said
it three times. I prayed for her and her family before we left reminding
them of God¹s love for the poor and weak. So yesterday in the ART clinic (a
week later) she came with her father and they were given more teaching on
the use of the the Anti-Retroviral Drugs that will prolong her life and sent
home to recover and gain what she has lost in recent months!
Thanks be to GOD! We get a lot of encouragement mileage out of these rescue
stories! Thank you too for being part of Batende Evaline and Kazini Robert's
lives through your generous gifts and prayers!

IMG_0360.JPG

Pat Abbott
P.O. Box 1142
Bundibugyo, Uganda
East Africa
011-256-772-622-330

------ End of Forwarded Message

Through the river and through the woods

2008-10-24T15:42:00.001+03:00

…to buck stations in Busunga we went!

Heidi and I discussed and agreed that “Over the River” sounds better. The bridge over the Lamia River has been gone for quite some time. Lamech walks his motorcycle across, but I have to dismount and wade in the water. There are dozens of helpful young men standing around shouting “Madame! Madame, let me carry you!” How exactly are they proposing to manage that? Throw me over their shoulder? No thanks! All the other women are carrying bundles of firewood on their heads and backs and they seem to manage well. Besides, the water is only half a meter deep, so my title remains “through the river…”

But I digress.

Lamech and I spent the afternoon visiting some buck keepers in Busunga. These volunteers house high-grade male goats and keep a record of the local goats that are brought to mate. The buck keepers also follow up on all of the offspring so Lamech can tag them the next time he visits. All of the baby goats receive Lamech’s veterinary treatment when needed, and so we were often flagged down to de-worm a “nearby” goat. “It’s not far far, just there,” says the buck keeper, gesticulating to a hut in the distance.

It was so encouraging to see Lamech’s dedication in visiting not only the 300+ female goats the Matiti project distributes, but also all of the offspring of local goats and the high-grade bucks. Four times a year, every goat is de-wormed and receives the proper vaccinations. Anytime a goat is sick, the recipient goes to their local buck-keeper to call Lamech for assistance. Looking at the buck keeper’s records, it’s easy to see how the numbers of higher-grade dairy goats are increases.

We visited one woman who was the recipient of a Matiti goat. Smiling toothlessly, she showed us her personal records of how much milk her goat was producing daily, and her smiling child, the glad recipient of said milk.

I unfortunately forgot to bring my camera along, but I shan’t make that mistake next time.

Sarah

2008-10-02T07:38:00.002+03:00

Meet Sarah. She has been with us in Bundibugyo for over a year now, teaching our missionary children at Rwenzori Mission School. As her teaching load is lightening, she is taking on many BundiNutrition activities. She’ll be overseeing procurement of food for feeding centers, overseeing activities of the extension officers in charge of the farms, BBB production teams, goat programs, and feeding programs, keeping financial accounts and reporting to the home office. As I (Karen) have been handing my responsibilities over to Sarah this past month, it’s been great to see how capable and willing she is.

Next week, I will be leaving Bundibugyo and will be moving with my family to Southern Sudan (www.whmsudan.blogspot.com) to lead a new team. Our hope is to serve the community there as they rebuild after decades of war and hold out the hope of Christ.

I go knowing that BundiNutrition remains in good hands with Sarah, Jennifer, Heidi, Pat, Scott , Lamech and Pauline.

My great thanks to all of you for your faithful prayers and giving that are the backbone of this ministry. May God bless you.

2 Corinthians 9:9-11

" 'They share freely and give generously to the poor.

Their good deeds will be remembered forever.'

For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you. Yes, you will be enriched in every way so that you can always be generous.

And when we take your gifts to those who need them, they will thank God."

Goats: Round 3

2008-09-04T12:49:00.005+03:00

Last week Lamech brought another shipment of dairy goats into the district. This is the 3 shipment of goats from the Christmas order.

It was another long day, beginning early morning and arriving at 11:30 pm. A problem with the windshield wipers of all things, delayed them 3 hours on the road, as it rained heavily and welding was required.
These were the goats that had been quarantined. This may be the last of the females that we need to have shipped into the district, as the breeding within our district is beginning to gain momentum.
We have bought a few goats already that have been breed locally. This eases the burden of transport and also adds local blood of goats from this district, making them even heartier.

There is no ceremony this time, but some women are coming each day to pick their goats. Thank you to all those who gave goats!

Stinky Boys

2008-07-26T08:45:00.002+03:00

Yesterday 16 male goats left our farm. I am so HAPPY.

They are key in making milk accessible to the masses. Not being monogamous, they can serve hundreds of local female goats in their areas, creating tons of dairy hybrid females, in turn providing lots of milk for children. They were an incredible gift from Joy Children’s Centre.

Selfishly, I’m glad they have moved on because, as any 8 year old girl can tell you: Boys are stinky! One male goat is strong, but with 16 next door, the pungent smell wafting in my windows was something else!

It was a sight to see them go on foot, motorcycle and truck.

Off Layers

2008-07-26T08:31:00.001+03:00

We have enjoyed eggs from our 39 chickens for almost a year. Each chicken lays roughly an egg a day. Basaija has feed the birds and collected the eggs. Pauline would see that they were delivered to the health center for HIV+ moms to feed their children. When patients are in the hospital, there are no meal plans. Parents have to bring their food and find a way to cook it. This is always a challenge. Many of the eggs these chicken have produced have nourished young ones with nutritional deficits during their stay in the hospital.

Since their production has dropped, we have sold them off – a good chicken dinner for some. We are grateful for their service.

Our 200 new chicks are doing well and have successfully passed the age when we lost 75% of the last group! By October they should start laying eggs.

Goat Gifting

2008-07-18T12:53:00.003+03:00

Women, children and men whose lives have been affected through loss and disease gathered together last week for the latest goat distribution. I shared from Scripture about how Jesus is our Good Shepherd, with us in hard times, caring for us gently, and laying His life down for us. I encouraged them to be reminded of their Good Shepherd whenever they are caring for their goats that God cares for them more completely then we can.
Scott Myhre, WHM Team Leader, used the illustration of animal sacrifice, which people practice regularly here. He shared how Christ is the best and final sacrifice for our sins, doing for us what we couldn’t do for ourselves. He also alluded to the sacrifice of the donors who gave generously to provide the dairy goats, which they were unable to provide for themselves.

41 females were distributed, including some of the females that have been passed on (offspring of previously distributed goats).

4 males were also place in the villages to continue the breeding in the communities.

Goat Delivery

2008-07-10T07:17:00.006+03:00

Tues night 51 goats arrrived. With the help of our truck's headlights to illuminate the area, 35 females were handed out of the huge truck and carried to their pens. Most of the 16 males were quite large, so after they were lowered from the truck, a firm grabbing of the horns and directing to their pen was needed.

Cooking it up

2008-07-08T07:32:00.005+03:00

Scott Ickes has been observing how the caretakers prepare the food they receive from BBB for their children. Some cook it with bananas and tomatoes over the fire. Others boil it into as a porridge.

Quarantine

2008-07-07T15:50:00.000+03:00

Today Lamech is in Masaka preparing the trucks by creating multiple goat pens in the truck bed.
When he was getting the moving permits that allow livestock to travel within Uganda, he found that 18 of the goats he’d bought were within a sub-county with a recent outbreak of foot and mouth disease (FMD). Despite the fact that Lamech had previously vaccinated them against FMD they are unable to be moved at this time.
The 35 female goats from other sub-counties as well as the 16 donated males will still start their long journey to Bundibugyo tomorrow morning.

BBB Production

2008-07-02T07:48:00.002+03:00

BBB Project produces two products, a locally made soybean powder and a peanut butter paste with dried moringa leaves. 4 production teams use the Omega VI grinders they were given by World Harvest Mission. Stephanie Jilcott trained them in their use. Currently, the teams roast the peanuts and then grind them with the dried moringa in the grinder turning it into a paste. The soybeans are roasted. Then they are prepounded by hand before they pass through the grinder which turns them into a fine powder.
Basiime Godfry, on behalf of BundiNutrition, buys the products from the production teams and brings them to the health centers for weekly distribution to moderately malnourished children.

BBB Research

2008-07-01T07:28:00.003+03:00

Meet Scott Ickes. He’s back in Bundibugyo for a few weeks working on his dissertation for his Ph.D. in Nutrition. He’s been studying the BBB Project and how the locally made Ready-to-Use-Supplementary-Food (RUSF) that is being produced here is affecting the community. He’s been interviewing Health Center Staff who distribute the Peanut Butter Paste and Soybean flour. The production teams who create the product and the moms who feed it to their children are also speaking up on how it is being used.

Scott is finishing up 78 dietary recalls, which ask mothers “What did your child eat yesterday?” This helps to answer the question of how the products we give to the moderately malnourished children fit into their total diet. Random home visits to observe how the food is prepared is also part of the study. He’s had the help of Biihwa, Annette, Basiime, Baguma Charles and Katie Morris with the interviews and back translations.

Tomorrow he will take samples of the products to Makerere University and have them tested for their nutrient content.

He has gathered quite a bit of data. After being able to analyze it, he hopes to share his insights with BundiNutrition and the production teams as to how we might make the most of the project.

BBB: Byokuliya Bisemeye mu Bantu, Good Food for People

15 Bucks

2008-06-30T12:45:00.002+03:00

The global rise in food costs are effecting us all. The food we buy for our patients continue to be more expensive. Also, the feed for chickens and goats rises. Joy Children’s Centre in Masaka, Uganda is a large farm of nearly 400 goats. They will need to scale back to 150 to stay afloat. There ministry has helped train many community members in Masaka, financed orphan’s school fees year after year and has been instrumental in shaping goat programs like ours across Uganda. In their effort to keep their farm at a managable level, they have offered to donate 15 male goats to our project in Bundibugyo. They are high grade males, just the thing our program could use to make selective breeding of an African dairy breed more attainable.

Lamech will upgrade the truck to the largest size and the males will come with the 54 females on July 8^th. The caretakers of the female goats will receive them on July 10^th. The bucks will remain on our farm. Then Lamech will identify villages with little access to buck services. Next, he’ll find the caretakers of female dairy goats who have proven their mettle over the years in those places. Lamech will train them in buck keeping for two days. We can provide some materials for the buck pen, like roofing and nails, while they provide the local materials. When their shelters are ready, we can distribute the males hopefully by the end of July.

We are grateful to David & Jacqui Dowdy for their continued input into the Matiti Project and for this generous donation!

Field Exchange: The Emergency Nutrition Network Magazine

2008-06-28T09:46:00.004+03:00

Stephanie Jilcott published an article on some of the BundiNutrition agricultural projects. Catch it here: http://www.ennonline.net/fex/

Demonstration Garden

2008-06-27T07:51:00.003+03:00

Pauline has worked diligently on designing the demonstration garden. The last phase is the orchard section where she will plant guavas and citrus trees. Trees for goat fodder line the pathways and are strategically placed throughout. They were chosen for their deep roots and nutrition value for goats. Jackson uses cutting daily of legumes and bulk plants.

Human food is also well placed. Cooking bananas-a staple food in Bundibugyo- as well as beans are grown throughout. Pauline brings community groups through the garden to show them how to make the best of their small plots, increasing yields through natural fertilizers and nitrogen fixing trees.
The beans and bananas are being sold and revenue is put back into the maintance of the garden. As the garden matures, it moves toward financial self-sustainablity.

Feathers

2008-06-18T15:59:00.003+03:00

The chicks are growing. Their yellow fuzz is being replaced by white feathers and they are in constant motion. Cozying up to the warm charcoal pot is still a favorite activity.

The current chick count is 206. I was told that when we ordered 200, you get 8 free because they expect some losses. Basija is doing a great job keeping the chicks healthy and happy. Pauline has given 2 rounds of vaccinations.

Preemies and their struggles

2008-06-03T12:39:00.004+03:00

Today is mixed with joy and sadness. Premature babies have a difficult road no matter where they are born. In Bundibugyo, there is no NICU to aid them in their struggle. Two nights ago, my neighbor gave birth to a baby boy who was just over 2 lbs. She has lost other children and great hopes were placed on his survival. Despite the special isolation room in the peadiatric ward and formula to feed him since his jaws weren't strong enough to suck, he died in the night. The grave behind their house is small and fresh. We sit and mourn with them.

As I was dropping of more formula to the Health Center today, Jennifer directed me to another child. He was also born premature, of similar weight. He was in the hospital for a while and health staff had to revive him frequently as his life kept slipping away. He was supplemented with formula while he gained strength to suck. He had been released and is now back at the hospital because he is sick, but he is not starving. He looks great and we rejoice with that family.

We must rejoice with those who rejoice and mourn with those who mourn, and trust God's faithful hand in the midst of it all.

Goat Registration

2008-05-31T09:24:00.004+03:00

In an effort to monitor and evaluate the progress of goat breeding, our outpost in Bundibugyo will start registering our dairy goats. This will allow us to have a better idea of what goats are out there, breeding with which others, and what the survival rate is. The database that the David Dowdy created is starting to be the central database for all of Uganda dairy goat keepers. It allows us to track milk production and keep up with vaccinations. We'll also gain information on which goats are producing the most milk and can be selected for mating.

This has to start with data gathering. This week was a practicum in recording information in local herd books. With literacy being low it is a struggle, but people are really trying. Most buck stations will keep records of the dairy goats in their area and record matings, deaths and births. Lamech will enter all the data from the herd books in his computer so we'll be able to keep up with what is happening in the field.

As we've moved around, the Dowdys have been encouraged by how well the goats are looking and being kept. That is a great encouragement to us all.

Visiting Buck Keepers

2008-05-26T07:35:00.003+03:00

David and Jacqui Dowdy (my mentors in goat care) are in Bundibugyo this week with their new interns, John & Alison Law. Yesterday, Lamech brought us around to visit various buck keepers. We visited 3 sites to see the animals and get an idea of the way they keep records (a tricky thing where the literacy rate is low). It was great to see the families and the animals they are caring for.
I was especially pleased at the last site where two women who lived nearby one another build their sheds together. One female goat was nursing a 10 day old kid, and supplying milk to the family. The other female goat was tremendous and is probably carrying two kids in her womb. They were surrounded by an array of various nutritious feeds within their reach. Because these women are doing such a great job, they were also given the responsibility of keeping the buck for their community.
At each place suggestions for improvement were given along with encouragement in their work.

Chick arrival

2008-05-23T12:34:00.002+03:00

Day-old chicks arrived at the newly expanded chicken coop! 200 were snuggled into 2 flat boxes and went for the ride of their short lives. They were picked up from Kampala at 7:00 AM. The boxes of chicks sat next to Pauline and her 2 year old son, Keith, in a minivan. Unfortunately, the minivan (public transportation) knocked a kid off of his bike during the journey. I believe he is fine. They sat on the side of the road for 1 ½ hours while the police took the information. When they reached Fort Portal, they found a truck that they sat in the front seat of and waited until 6:30 for it to fill up with passengers. The whole time, Keith wanted to get his hands on the peeping chicks. When they finally reached Bundibugyo town it was so late that it was hard to find transport for the last ½ hour leg. Reaching the mission at 11:00 PM, they found that Basaija, the chicken keeper, had given up and gone home. Pauline and Keith slept in the chicken coop to keep an eye on them.

During the first few days, they need constant attention to make sure they don’t drown in their drinkers or overheat near the clay pot filled with warm charcoal. I found them this morning running around the coop and snuggling to stay toasty near the pot. The journey was a success.

Round Two for Goats

2008-05-03T22:43:00.005+03:00

Lamech is making preparations for the next goat distribution. He will visit in family in Masaka next week, he lives a day's drive from his wife and children. He'll buy calliandra seed there to distribute to the new beneficiaries. He'll conduct two separate 2-day training the following weeks. One will be in Bundibugyo Town (1/2 hour north) and the other will be on the mission. Seeds to plant for fodder and nails for the goat shelter will be distributed along with an abundance of helpful knowledge.

New Chicks

2008-05-03T22:27:00.004+03:00

Yesterday Michael went to Ugachick and ordered 200 newborn chicks. In three weeks we'll be allowed to pick them up. That will give Pauline time to finish preparing their home. The BundiNutrition Chicken Coop has been expanded and they are finishing up on the fence around it. Coffee husks need to spread around the floor and then the house will need to be disinfected. Then it must sit empty for a time.
The 39 chickens from last year are doing a great job of laying eggs still. By August their laying period will end and we'll need to sell them off for meat. The new batch of chicks should start to lay by October.
If we have a better mortality rate, the project will be approaching self-sustainability. The eggs will be used abundantly at the health center and the rest will be sold. The revenue will go into the chicken feed, chicken medications and salary for Basija, the chicken keeper.

One by One

2008-04-05T09:09:00.008+03:00

It was fun to watch the women come one by one to recieve their goats. Many had their babies strapped to their backs. Some had their sad stories written on their faces. Others' faces shown with joy, the pain of life covered by gratitude and hope. During the celebration I had watched one aunt offer her empty breast to an orphan who sucked eagerly, without much payback. I was happy to give her a goat who would produce a kid in 2 weeks and provide life giving nourishment. Other HIV+ moms were ready to wean their children from the breast to a non infected milk source. I wish you could have seen their expressions of gratitude with a smile, a bended knee, a blessing in their native tongue (which were many) , and hands together in grateful prayer.

The World Harvest Team pitched into help, the kids being great goat wranglers, and Pauline and Lamech went the extra mile in making the day fabulous.

Gift Giving

2008-04-05T08:31:00.007+03:00

The smiling faces of the women were exciting to see. Biirwa, a local evangelist, shared from the Word of God the story of the talents and making the most of what you have. He encouraged the women to be faithful with the goats they were being given, to put time and care into them. Scott Myhre represented WHM and encouraged the women as well. I was also able to remind them of the Gifts God has given these women, in his Son, and in the goats that will nourish their children. I shared with them how so many people gave Christmas goats in their honor this past Christmas and that they are receiving the benefit of them. They clapped for you in gratitude. After Lamech also shared, a friend and recipient from the group came forward and conveyed his gratitude in words. Then they organized a special clap rhythm that ended in hands extended toward our team leader as though they were heaping the claps on him. They are now being passed onto all of you who made this goat distribution day possible.

Late Night Arrival

2008-04-03T07:32:00.005+03:00

The goats arrived at 3:00 am after a long, long journey. The original shortcut they were taking wasn't in good enough condition, so they had to turn around and start again. Later they had a flat tire. Reaching Fort Portal, the vehicle needed some work done on the brakes. They didn't begin crossing the mountains until the sun was beginning to set. We try to avoid driving in the dark because there are no street lights, especially on the mountain curves. They pressed on for the sake of the goats. Eventually they found another truck stuck in the road and they were unable to pass by it. They waited for hours until that truck was able to move.

When the truck arrived it backed up to the fence and Michael turned our car lights on the truck so we could see. Each of the goats were handed off and carried to the pen. They were so tired and quiet, that after they were all unloaded, I hardly heard a sound from them. I wouldn't have known that 51 extra goats were just outside my window.

Fodder, Fodder and more Fodder

2008-04-01T07:47:00.003+03:00

Pauline has the busy job of preparing for guests. 50 goats will arrive on the mission's farm today and will stay for about 48 hours. She and some helpers will gather branches from trees, long grasses and pea-type plants for a lot of hungry mouths. Tomorrow Michael will go out with the truck deeper into the villages to collect more.

Vet Visit

2008-03-31T07:38:00.004+03:00

Today Lamech and a vet from Masaka will visit all the goats that we've purchased and vaccinated them against pneumonia and give them a strong dewormer. A shop owner from Nyahuka will arrive in Masaka with his truck and it will be transformed into an animal shelter on wheels. They will divide the truck bed into sections with poles and dividers. Then they will cover the bottom of the truck with soft grasses. Food and water for the journey will be collected. They will start to load the goats tomorrow morning before the sun is up!

Unicef delivers

2008-03-23T14:41:00.005+03:00

On Good Friday, Unicef delivered several boxes of therapeutic milk, oral rehydration solution, and other supplies to help with feeding of and care for malnourished children. Pray that we would be good stewards of these supplies. Pray for children like little Birungi Swizen (pictured), so sick he breaks your heart. Pray that he and others like him would recover, and go on to survive and thrive.

Easter Eggs

2008-03-23T14:30:00.002+03:00

Remember Vumiliya? The sweet child with the very sick mother who received a dairy goat? Well, her mother is doing better, well enough to bring Vumiliya to the health center to receive beans and eggs and to get ARV drugs~ What a happy day when we can give nutritious easter eggs away!

Home visit

2008-03-11T07:14:00.003+03:00

This guy doesn't look very happy! A few weeks ago I visited the homes of some of our nutrition patients. This is Tugume Yoas, his mother is preparing food for him, provided by one of the outpatient feeding centers. Yoas was slightly below the growth curve when he came into the program, and looks better every day, thanks to the love and care of his mother.

Shelling Nuts

2008-03-01T08:58:00.002+03:00

As we demonstrated the Universal Nut Sheller to visitors from the U.S. and for the small trading center of Busunga (situated half a mile from the DRC), I was reminded of the generosity of the Full Belly Project in providing two shellers free of charge. We pray that the sheller will make life easier for many people, including Aisha, the woman who is the steward of the sheller. She is a very hard working farmer.

Jock Brandis, the creator of the machine, was featured on CNN Heroes recently, the link is:
http://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/wayoflife/02/28/heroes.brandis/index.html?iref=newssearch

Let the trainings begin!

2008-02-29T07:25:00.004+03:00

Yesterday was the first of 9 trainings for goat recipients. Lamech, with Geoffrey's help, plans to teach a series of 3 trainings and repeat it in 3 locations for easy access to the beneficiaries. Yesterday's training was on World Harvest Mission's Community Center. After talking about goat breeds, why dairy goat breeding is valuable, and some basics of care, they took a tour of the goat farm on the mission as well as the demonstration fodder garden. People seemed very interested and engaged. Lamech has a great way of communicating and drawing people in.

50 Goats: Found and Vaccinated

2008-02-28T07:32:00.004+03:00

Last week, Lamech traveled for a full day to reach Masaka. It took him a week to travel into various villages where many families breed dairy goats. Most "farms" are small and they only have a few animals. Lamech's goal was to find 50 females (half local blood and half dairy) at a mature age and vaccinate them for Foot and Mouth Disease. He found them, though a few are a bit younger than we wanted due to lack of mature ones. The local farmers are receiving the initial deposit for purchase and will receive the rest when they bring their goats to the truck April 1rst. They are so grateful for the sales, especially at this time of year when school fees are due.
Lamech also let them know that he'll return to look for more goats in May.

Who will get a goat?

2008-02-22T07:25:00.001+03:00

We have so, so many goats to give, thanks to the collective generosity of many people! The goats we give are high grade dairy goats, and have a higher mortality rate in Bundibugyo than the local boar (meat) goats. Therefore, we must select responsible, dedicated recipients, with good management skills, who simultaneously have a great need for the milk from the goats. A definite challenge! So as Jennifer, Pat, and I see needy children the health center, we have been making a list and checking it twice. On the list include: (1) HIV-positive children who are dwindling; (2) Infants of HIV-positive women who need to wean their children soon to prevent transmission of the virus from mother to child; (3) motherless infants under 1 year, whose moms have died of causes such as AIDS, malaria, or childbirth; (4) children in bad social situations, who just cannot seem to gain enough weight.

Please pray that the children who need the goats the most would receive them. Pray that the milk would be a blessing to children here in Bundibugyo. In addition, please thank God for His mercy and grace as He provides for these little ones!

2008-02-11T15:38:00.000+03:00

Mbusa Florence

2008-02-11T07:55:00.000+03:00

I wanted to introduce you to a wonderful woman I know, Mbusa Florence. She single-handedly organizes one of our production teams, mobilizing her family members to roast gnuts and soybeans, grind them (using the hand-powered nut grinder), and package them for distributing at our outpatient feeding centers. Last week alone she led the way in producing over 90 cups of groundnut paste and soybean powder, an amazing feat for the tools she is using. This is all voluntary work!! For a comparison, the other two teams produced 38 and 45 cups each. In the picture, you see her de-leafing moringa limbs, to dry the nutritious leaves to be incorporated into food given at outpatient feeding centers. Mbusa’s family was recently given a dairy goat (see picture) from the Matiti Project, because of her cooperation and work with BundiNutrition projects.

Sadly, Mbusa takes flack from a few community members who chastise her saying, “Why are you working for those people for free? They should be paying you something!” She simply replies, “I am working for God,” or even defends me (Stephanie) saying, “Does Stephanie have any children here? This food is for our children”. This adds personal significance to the cliché “It takes a village to raise a child.” Indeed it does. Or at least a few very dedicated villagers!

2008-02-08T07:34:00.000+03:00

Outpatient feeding centers, sustained by His hand

2008-02-07T13:13:00.000+03:00

When our team evacuated out of Bundibugyo due to the ebola epidemic in early December 2007, I left the outpatient feeding centers in their infancy, with the first cycle of malnourished children returning for week 3 of a 5 week program to improve their nutritional status. The programs provide a small food supplement (peanut butter paste and soybean flour), caregiver education, and weekly growth monitoring. I left Bundibugyo feeling that a lot of blood, sweat and tears had gone into a project that would simply putter out after I left, even despite the fact that the feeding centers were left in very capable Ugandan hands. Yes, I know, very self-centered!

However, when I arrived at one of the small health centers for the first time post-ebola, I was greeted by 3 volunteers and 3 health center staff members we had trained in October, who were educating caregivers, had enrolled malnourished children, and monitoring children's growth. It warmed my heart, strengthened my resolve to continue, to cherish every moment I have to be here in this amazingly gorgeous place. Praise God for sustaining HIS program, and pray for continued success, measured by children’s improved nutritional status and overall health, by caregivers feeling welcomed and loved, and by volunteers and health center staff growing in the knowledge of God’s love for them in Christ, motivating them to serve those around them in love.

The Dowdys

2008-01-31T18:43:00.000+03:00

David and Jacqui Dowdy are a friendly British couple that have been working in Masaka (2 hrs west of KLA) for over a decade. They run a farm comprised of hundreds of dairy goats with a few cows, donkeys and meat goats in the mix for good measure. They train orphans in animal husbandry. In turn, profits from the farm pay school fees for the orphans. They have also been involved in training the surrounding communities in goat care and tree planting.

The Dowdys have generously shared their knowledge with us in Bundibugyo. They facilitate the purchasing of the goats we bring into the district from the small scale farmers in Masaka that they've trained. They have done trainings in Bundi and are the ones who recommended that we have agricultural extension workers. The success of the Matiti project is greatly attributed to them.

Yesterday, they were in Kampala for a graduation and we were able to meet up with them. I was excited to share that we were looking at two shipments of goats due to the amazing generosity of those who bought Christmas goats. We began discussions as to how to begin that process.

They also had exciting ideas about how they were interested in helping us follow up on the goats born within our program. They'd like to help us be intentional about choosing the best milkers to breed with the sons of the best milkers to produce an African breed of dairy goats. Supposedly that is how the European breeds came to produce such a large quantity of milk: selective breeding.

Why are we interested in good milkers? The more milk they produce, the more milk needy children can drink.

"Wow! That's a lot of beans"

2007-12-31T19:32:00.000+03:00

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.

Full Truck!!

2007-12-20T22:39:00.000+03:00

Yeah! From what I can tell, it looks like we have enough donations to fill a truck with over 50 goats! Thanks for all of your Christmas gifts of goats. Bundibugyo will be blessed through your giving this season. After I (Karen) get back to Uganda in January, the preparations can get underway for the goat distribution. It will involve chosing people to receive the goats. They will need to be trained in goat care and build a goat shed. Lamech will go to Masaka, Uganda, and meet with small scale goat breeders in their villages. He will then choose and buy females of a good age. Next he'll get the paperwork and vaccinations they need to travel. We'll keep you posted here on the progress.

Jesus came for the least of these. Thanks for your generosity toward these little ones as we celebrate His coming

Christmas Goats

2007-11-21T04:59:00.000+03:00

This Christmas you may want to give a gift to a needy child. When young children lose their mother or their mother's milk is tainted with HIV they are at risk of death and disease themselves. Formula and other sources of milk are not readily available or affordable in Bundibugyo. A donation of $110 provides a dairy goat that will give milk for such a child. In time, the goat will likely produce offspring and the firstborn female is passed on to another child in need of milk.
A Ugandan artist has made goat ornaments that we'd like to send to those who have purchased a goat. For those who donate a goat this Christmas, email me (Karen) at masso@iname.com sending your name and mailing address. That way I can mail off your ornament in time for Christmas.

Donations can be made online or by mail (designate fund #12375)

Vumiliya

2007-11-09T14:28:00.000+03:00

On two Tuesdays in a row, as I worked at Nyahuka Health Center, he kept finding me. A man, holding a baby in an oversized blanket, repeated his story for the second time: His wife was very sick and she was an inpatient on the ward. She had breast problems and could not breastfeed their baby girl, Vumiliya. Could I help them with some food? Because nearly all my training regarding nutrition in developing countries emphasizes the benefits of exclusive breastfeeding and the precariousness of feeding young children infant formula or other replacement feeds, I was not eager to supplement Vumiliya’s diet with formula or milk. The first time he asked for help, I said that I needed the mother to be seen by Dr. Jennifer or Dr. Jonah before we could offer nutritional assistance – I needed someone more experienced to speak into the situation. I did give some milk, but felt very hesitant and uneasy about it, saying the mother should really try to breastfeed. He came the next Tuesday without a note from a doctor. We gave him a bit more help, still very uneasy. Finally, I told Jennifer about the situation, and she graciously went to find the mother and get an accurate read on the child’s story.

Vumiliya’s mother is HIV-positive. She is indeed very sick and should not be breastfeeding her child while supplementing the baby’s diet with other foods as this increases the risk of HIV transmission from herself to Vumiliya. As Jennifer talked with the father, she asked “Do we have a goat ready? This child would be a perfect candidate for a goat.” At the time, there were no goats giving milk, ready to be given to beneficiaries. So we told the father we’d help with milk for one month, giving him time to find a surrogate breastfeeder. A few days later, Lamech told me there was a goat giving milk ready to be given to a beneficiary, because the child for which it was originally intended shifted to Congo (we do not give goats to children living in Congo because providing veterinary care is dangerous for our agriculture extension workers). I was praising the Lord for this goat giving milk to give to baby Vumiliya!

The saga continues, however. On Tuesday, when her father came with me to WHM Matiti Farm to get the goat, we discovered it had diarrhea. Pauline decided to keep the goat on the Farm until it completed its full course of medicine. We are continuing to provide Vumiliya’s father with milk for her to drink. I was struck once again at how difficult it is to get sustainable sources of protein for children here in Bundibugyo: Farmers decide it is more lucrative to plant cocoa shambas than to plant groundnuts. Chickens get coccidiosis and die en masse. And exotic dairy goats get diarrhea. It is messy! But not hopless ~ Please pray that Vumiliya would get to enjoy goats’ milk sometime soon, and that God would preserve her life and provide abundantly for her family.

Living on the edge...

2007-11-08T14:43:00.000+03:00

Several days ago, this Kwejuna mother, Bena, turned up at my door. She had travelled many miles to see me, probablyat least 20 kilometers. She is a mother of 6, including the twin girls you see here which she has named Patricia and Pamela, after Pat & I. She is very sick, has advanced HIV disease, and lost her husband who was a soldier in early May just before the twins were born. She is from eastern Uganda, but since her husband is from Bundibugyo and she has been away from her own area for many years due to her husband's work transfers, she has nothing to go back to there. Besides, culturally speaking, all her children belong to her husband's family, so it makes sense for her to remain here. But she is desperate: extremely weak, unable to afford to send her older children to secondary school, living with her in-laws in one room (she and the 6 children) which doesn't have walls that go up to the ceiling, no income, no land on which to dig and grow food for her family (land passes from husbands to male children only here), and trying to nurse twins.

When I first met her at Bundibugyo Hospital shortly after the twins were born, she had turned up in the HIV care clinic, for a refill of her antiretroviral drugs. She and the twins were suffering from a skin condition, and she was already struggling to produce enough breast milk for both babies. The next week, she made the trip to the mission and Dr. Scott examined her and prescribed some antibiotics for them all. Because she lives too far away to benefit from our existing nutrition program, I have taken to providing boxed long life milk for the twins, which her teenage son comes to pick up from Bundibugyo Town every 2 weeks. To my surprise and delight, they have continue to grow and thrive. At our last food distribution, when she heard I was leaving next month, she began to worry about how she would manage when I am gone and who would help her. She had come to tell me this and to see if I could help her with money to start a business. I reminded her that God is the one who has always helped her, (though sometimes he has used me to do so), and that he will continue to be faithful to her.... I believe those words, but does she?

As I look at her twins, just shy of 6 months, I wonder what their future holds. Should their mother die in a few years - if she lasts that long - what will become of them? What will become of her teenage son and daughter, or her other children? It looks like such a bleak situation, and yet I pray that for her, as for us that Paul's words ring true, that her "light and momentary troubles are achieving ... an eternal glory that far outweighs them all". I don't know if this is true for her because I don't know if she has a belief in the Christ who died to make this a reality, but I pray that if not, she will come to know in a real and personal way, the God of the universe who gives us a hope in a life beyond this one.

October 2007 Monthly Report of BundiNutrition Activities

2007-11-05T15:36:00.000+03:00

Below is a listing of various BundiNutrition projects and current activities. These projects are financially supported by private donations to World Harvest Mission. The projects are practically and logistically supported by NHC staff, lay health workers, WHM agriculture extension officers and missionaries, community members, and patients’ caregivers.

• NHC/WHM Inpatient and Outpatient Feeding Programs
o Inpatient Feeding Program: Serve malnourished inpatients, often with chronic illness or severe infection (HIV, TB). Often these children have kwashiorkor and/or marasmus or are below the Road to Health line.
 Inpatients are given either starter milk (if they present as severely malnourished) or high energy milk (if recovering from severe malnutrition)
 In some cases, eggs and groundnut paste/powder are also provided to boost nutrition
o Outpatient Feeding Program: Serve motherless infants under 1 year, multiple birth babies, low birth weight babies (<2.5 kg), and those recovering from severe malnutrition (kwashiorkor, marasmus)
 When initially enrolled, children are given 24 boxes of milk, oil, sugar and told to find a surrogate breastfeeding and return the following month.
 Surrogates receive 10 cups of beans each month through the child’s 12th month.
 In October 2007, we served 70 children through the outpatient feeding program, 35 males, and 35 females.
o HIV-affected children
 Weerve children between 6-18 months when mothers are weaning children off breastmilk, as well as HIV-positive children who are also underweight.
 Children receive growth monitoring and bi-weekly protein supplements such as eggs or groundnut paste or powder. Caregiver nutrition education is also provided.
o In October 2007, 33 new motherless infants or malnourished inpatients were enrolled in either the inpatient or outpatient feeding program
o In October 2007, an average of 15 HIV-affected children was served each week.
• Nutrition Trainings
o Nutrition Trainings in October 2007 included sessions on hygiene, nutrition education key messages, behavior change theory and approach, and each group conducted recipe trials to cook a healthy biscuit.
o During the final week of the training (30 October – 2 November), participants reviewed all previous sessions and were awarded certificates of attendance.
o Average attendance was 15 people, including health center staff, TBAs, BBB production team members, and other interested community members
• Byokuliya Bisemeye mu Bantu (BBB) Project
o To promote cultivation of high-protein food crops such as sesame, groundnut, and soybean
o Trained farmers and gave seed for quick-growing food crops (e.g., papaya)
o Distributed BBB T-shirts to farmers and production teams
o Monthly meetings with production teams (women’s groups who are producing the high-protein food supplement)
 Repaired two broken grinders with new auger helices
 Recipe trials with production teams
 Purchase of seeds for production teams
 Collection of high-protein food supplement and distribution to NHC
 Construction of 1 solar dryer, to dry moringa leaves
o Conducted 4 agriculture sensitization seminars with local farmers
o On-going monitoring of seed recipients’ fields
• Chicken Project
o To promote children’s consumption of sustainable animal protein
o On-going monitoring of health and wellness of chickens
o Follow-up and vaccination for local farmer raising exotic layer hens
o In October 2007, 748 eggs distributed to Nyahuka Health Center
o On-farm trainings regarding chicken management and fodder establishment
• Matiti Dairy Goat Project
o To promote children’s consumption of sustainable animal protein by distributing dairy goats; Over 50 goats distributed in April 2007
o Matings between local goats and exotic dairy goats
o On-going monitoring and treatment for dairy goats; De-worming of goats
o Agroforestry sensitization seminars
o Goat management training in Kirindi Parrish
o Management of a Matiti dairy goats demonstration farm
 Planting of bananas, phase II
 Planting of beans in banana field, phase I
 Desucking and pruning of banana plantation
o On-farm trainings with Naksiona Women’s Group regarding goat management, chicken management, and fodder establishment

Grand Finale, and a tearful goodbye

2007-11-04T15:25:00.000+03:00

On Monday, 29 October, we had our last (and largest ever) food distribution of the year. The day dawned bright and sunny and by 8.30am, about 90 women were already assembled and seated on benches in our community center, eagerly awaiting the start of regsitration. Over the next 7 hours, another 95 women and their babies trickled in and joined in the festivities. As in past distributions, all women were registered and weighed, those who brought their babies had them weighed as well, and 16 babies were tested for HIV. Only one of these tested positive, though she was only 6 months old and that test may reflect her mother's antibodies and not a true infection, so she will need to test again in 3 months. The rest of the babies tested were found to be free of HIV. Praise God for that!

After finishing rounds on the pediatric ward with Dr. Jennifer, our short term Physician Assistants - Rachel and Scott W - came to help, praying over those who requested prayer. Later, just before we gave out food, Rachel shared from the Bible, reminding the women of how much they are loved by God, and as we distributed beans, cooking oil and salt, Scott jumped into the fray and helped these women - some of whom are quite frail due to their health - to carry out their 40 pound bags.

During the day, I tried not to think about the fact that this was my last distribution, and the last time I would see almost 200 of our mothers and their babies assembled in one place, to receive food that will help them to supplement their diet. But as we gathered them all to begin giving out the food, I knew it wouldn't be fair to them or to me to fail to tell them that next year when they return, I will not be among them. Several women near the front audibly gasped when I said this, and that brought me to tears. Fortunately, despite my heavy heart, I was able to remind them that though people come and go in their lives, God always remains present with them and he is the one always sustaining them. I was preaching this to myself as well, for these are words I also needed to hear. As my time in Bundibugyo draws to a close in December, I will go from this place to face a future that is largely uncertain, and so I too need to be freshly reminded that God will indeed be my sustainer through the upcoming transition and that he has good plans for me. And so I leave knowing that God has already provided funds to keep this distribution program going for another year, a tangible sign of his never-ending love and care. A generous gift from a couple in my church in New York City makes this possible. Mukama Asiimwe! (Praise be to God).

2007-10-29T15:26:00.000+03:00

I burst into tears when Geofrey recently told me what happened at the end of a long work day. (For those of you who don’t know, Geofrey is a Ugandan Agriculture Extension Officer working on the project to establish a locally produced, nutrient-dense paste to provide to malnourished children in Bundibugyo.) Geofrey was traveling home after a productive day of monitoring farmers’ fields, conducting agriculture trainings, and monitoring teams of women producing the nutrient-dense paste. Over the past month, a teammate (Michael Masso, water engineer) graciously allowed Geofrey to move around the District using his recently repaired but very weathered motorcycle. Unfortunately, on the day in question, suddenly the motorcycle died! Geofrey reported that he and another Extension Officer (Lamech) had to push it nearly 1 mile back to World Harvest Mission property. I cried about this because I was feeling very discouraged about several seemingly broken machines in my life.

So please pray that God would provide us with a new motorcycle for Geofrey. The machine I have my eye on would cost 4500 – 5000 USD. We have been spending a lot of money on hiring boda bodas (for-hire motorcycles) for Geofrey to travel throughout the District. These hired motorcycles are not high quality machines, and they offer very little flexibility in terms of when and where a person can move. I am very pleased with Geofrey’s work thus far, and I would be so happy if we were able to provide him with a new motorcycle to use for his work. The safety, flexibility, and cost-savings afforded by purchasing a new motorcycle would be well worth it! In the picture above, you can see Geofrey and Lamech posing by the motorcycles, just one week before the breakdown.

BundiNutrition September 2007 Monthly Report

2007-10-09T07:44:00.001+03:00

Below is a listing of various BundiNutrition projects and current activities. These projects are financially supported by private donations. The projects are practically and logistically supported by Nyahuka Health Center staff, lay health workers, WHM agriculture extension officers and missionaries, community members, and patients’ caregivers.

· NHC/WHM Inpatient and Outpatient Feeding Programs
o Inpatient Feeding Program: Serve malnourished inpatients, often with chronic illness or severe infection (HIV, TB). Often these children have kwashiorkor and/or marasmus or are below the Road to Health line.
§ Inpatients are given either starter milk (if they present as severely malnourished) or high energy milk (if recovering from severe malnutrition)
§ In some cases, eggs and groundnut paste/powder are also provided to boost nutrition
§ In August 2007, we served 32 total, 14 males, 18 females
§ In September 2007, we served 22 total, 13 females, and 7 males (2 unidentified gender).

o Outpatient Feeding Program: Serve motherless infants under 1 year, multiple birth babies, low birth weight babies (<2.5 kg), and those recovering from severe malnutrition (kwashiorkor, marasmus)
§ When initially enrolled, children are given 24 boxes of milk, oil, sugar and told to find a surrogate breastfeeding and return the following month
§ Surrogates receive 10 cups of beans each month through the child’s 12th month
§ In August 2007, we served 55 children, 31 males and 24 females.
§ In September 2007, we served 53 children, 22 males, and 29 females.

o HIV-affected children
§ Serve children between 6-18 months when mothers are weaning children off breastmilk, as well as HIV-positive children who are also underweight
§ Children receive growth monitoring and bi-weekly protein supplements such as eggs or groundnut paste or powder. Caregiver education is also provided.
§ In August 2007, we served an average of 11 children per week.
§ In September 2007, we served an average of 15 children per week.

· Nutrition Trainings
o Beginning 11 Sept 2007, 3 trainings were conducted on the following topics: (1) Growth monitoring and identification of malnourished children; (2) General nutrition (concepts of energy, vitamins, minerals and the purpose of each in the body), exclusive breastfeeding; and (3) Healthy young child nutrition, including responsive feeding and recovery feeding.
o Conducted at Busunga (Tuesday afternoons), Busaru (Wednesday afternoons), and Nyahuka (Friday afternoons) Health Centers.
o Average attendance was 15 people, which includes health center staff, TBAs, BBB production team members, and other interested community members

· Byokuliya Bisemeye mu Bantu (BBB) Project
o To promote cultivation of high-protein food crops such as sesame, groundnut, and soybean
o Seed distributed to 116 beneficiaries in July 2007 (asked to return a portion of the crop to the project); Monitoring and field education is on-going
o Agriculture sensitization seminars conducted
o Distributed 3 hand-powered seed grinders for community use and production of a high-protein powder to be distributed at NHC and possibly in other health centers.

· Chicken Project
o To promote sustainable animal protein food sources, with emphasis on children
o As of 24 September 2007, 1005 eggs distributed to NHC
o Total of 1112 eggs collected since they began laying on 7 August until 23 September
o On-farm trainings regarding chicken management and fodder establishment

· Matiti Dairy Goat Project
o To promote sustainable animal protein, emphasizing children
o Over 50 goats distributed in April 2007; Follow-up and veterinary care are on-going
o Offer matings between local goats and exotic dairy goats
o Management of a Matiti dairy goats demonstration farm
o On-farm trainings regarding goat management and fodder establishment

2007-10-07T14:40:00.000+03:00

The Valparaiso University grant has enabled us to conduct a series of 8 nutrition trainings in 3 different health centers. Average attendance is 15 people, including health center staff and lay health workers. The training topics include antenatal nutrition, growth monitoring, healthy complementary foods, recovery feeding, responsive feeding, and hygiene. We are also training folks to actually deliver nutrition education messages. It has been a really rich time for me ~ I’ve learned at least as much as I’ve taught! To celebrate completion of the fourth training session, I presented participants with brand new green “Byokuliya Bisemeye mu Bantu” t-shirts (Byokuliya Bisemeye mu Bantu means “good food for people”). On the front of the shirts, a groundnut plant is pictured, with a young girl going to school, a father digging in the garden, and a pregnant mother. The graphic represents a father supporting his daughter and pregnant wife by cultivating high protein foods in the garden, resulting in healthy children who are successful in school. On the back of the shirt is a paraphrase of 2 Corinthians 9:10 “God, who supplies seed to sow…will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness.” It was such a joy to see people’s faces light up when they received this gift ~ thanks Valparaiso!!

Please continue to pray for enthusiasm, creativity, and wisdom for training preparation.

Makuni goes home...

2007-10-03T15:40:00.000+03:00

Today was a big day for Makuni. Two months after being admitted, he went home! He's still not able to walk unassisted, but looks much more like the 4 year old that he is than when he first arrived. Home is over the border in Congo, probably at least 10km from Nyahuka health center and a few hours walk, at the very least. He left in the arms of his father, accompanied by sister Annet, and a brother who showed up today for the first time, with a bicycle. The bicylce was used to wheel a big bundle full of all the possessions they'd used for their hospital stay: sheets, blankets, towels, a few items of clothing, cooking dishes and utensiles, and rags which Makuni sat on in bed, instead of using diapers.

Makuni knew he was headed home and appeared fine with that: no tears of protest or sadness. Though there is no mother there to welcome him (she died some time ago), it seemed he was happy to be going back to somewhere known and familiar. Pat bought him sweets at the gate, and I sent him home with a new outfit (recently arrived from friends in the US) and his sister in a similarly "new" dress. He also went home with 24 boxes of milk to last him for the next 2 weeks when he should return for a weight check. Thank God for the way he has turned the health of this child around. Its quite remarkable really, and continue to pray for Makuni's family to care for him well at home - his foot still needs a daily dressing -and for him to gain even more weight in the next 2 weeks.

And as Makuni heads home, there are others now admitted - also severly malnourished - and in desperate need of care and prayer: James, Ngonzi, (both of whom are HIV infected), Masereka, the list goes on..... Pray for God to meet their needs as he did Makuni's.

Makuni laughs!

2007-09-27T07:31:00.000+03:00

Makuni has made noticeable improvements though he is still very malnourished and continues to need much prayer and love. Last Friday when I visited, the edema (swelling) in his eyelids had all but disappeared and his eyes were open and he was looking around, alert and interested in what was going on in the bed next to him. He was also holding a cup of milk and drinking it himself. This may sound minor for a 4 year old child, but the previous week, he'd been too weak to hold his own cup and we'd been feeding him milk spoon by spoon. Then on Tuesday, I found him sitting outside on the veranda with his father. Its been very hot here in the afternoons so I was glad he was getting some fresh air. He looked up at me with his large, sad eyes. I had brought a small green rubber ball for him, though I'd been reluctant to give it to him because he can't chase it. He is too weak to walk and spends most of his day sitting up in bed - with no back rest. Anyway, I gave the ball to his father, who gave it to him, and he looked at it and then smiled. No actually he laughed! It was the first time I've ever seen him laugh or smile. He continued to look at it and chuckle to himself with glee. Then he rolled it back and forth between his skinny outstretched legs and began playing happily with it.

I know that Makuni's improvements are evidence of God's love for him and a reflection of the many prayers that are being offered up on behalf of him and his family. THANK YOU. Please don't stop praying. Makuni has a long way to go before he becomes a healthy 4 year old. Continue to pray for his appetite to increase and for him to receive healthy, calorie-rich foods, and pray particularly for healing for a terrible wound he has on the top of his left foot where the skin has been eaten away - a symptom of extreme malnutrition - exposing red, raw flesh.

Motherless Makuni

2007-09-09T21:20:00.000+03:00

Meet Makuni, a 4 year old boy who weighs just 8.5 kilos or about 19 pounds. He has an enlarged head, bloated stomach, and blotchy skin. His shoulder blades protrdue glaringly out of his back, his tiny body not more than skin and bones. He is from across the border in Congo and his father brought him to Nyahuka Health Center about a month ago in a severely malnourished state. Makuni's mother died sometime ago - its unclear exactly when and how but its likely Makuni's malnourished state has something to do with her death. He is cared for largely by his 10 year old sister, Annet, (pictured with him) and although his father stays with him at the health center at night, frequently during the afternoons when Stephanie and I tend to visit, he is noticeably absent.

Please pray for this little fighter! I first learned of him when Jennifer asked for prayer for him at one of our team meetings and then I discovered him one day early last month in the new pediatric ward when I was visiting the daughter of one of our Kwejuna mothers. He was sitting up in bed - alone - and crying quietly. His eyes were large and sunken and sad. In recent days, he has taken to keeping his eyes closed most of the time. When I first saw him with his eyes closed, I feared he'd gone blind, but when I gave him a small teddy bear to cuddle on Thursday, he felt it, then opened his eyes and screamed in fear. An unexpected response, but a good sign. He can still see! However, its likely he doesn't have the muscle strength to keep his eyes open all the time, but he continues to hang on. He doesn't talk but but responds to yes/no questions and seems quite aware of what is going on. We're giving him high energy milk - a mixture of boxed whole milk, diluted with a small amount of water, and a small bit of oil and sugar, and though he is largely spoon fed at this point, he takes the milk drink with relish. Another great sign. He is not rejecting food and has an appetite. Yeah! (Sometimes kids at this advanced stage of malnutrition lose all interest in food.) We've also provided his father with eggs but its unclear whether Makuni himself is getting them to eat.

Please, please pray for this child, and pray for this family. They are grieving the loss of their wife and mother, and struggling to care for a very sick child who needs to be fed small amounts 6 times a day. It is laborious and consumes much energy, and we see signs of them tiring of this. But we know God loves this child and he loves this family. Pray for God to bring him back from the brink of death. Pray for this family to be encouraged and strengthened to continue to care for Makuni. Pray for the health center staff to have hope too. Our God is able to do all this and more.

Yummy, yummy to my tummy!

2007-09-09T15:36:00.000+03:00

This past Thursday, we had our first ‘recipe trial’ to create the nutrient-dense paste. The product ended up more like a powder than a paste, likely due to how close the grinder’s steel burrs were to each other. The mixture of roasted groundnuts, soybeans, and moringa leaf powder was quite tasty! Keep praying for creativity and wisdom as we conduct more recipe trials.

Webale, Webale!!

2007-08-26T13:45:00.001+03:00

Many thanks to our faithful prayer and financial supporters!! Your support is helping us purchase ingredients for therapeutic milk (milk, sugar, oil) to strengthen and heal malnourished children like Mukuuni (see picture on the right). Many of you have supported the chicken project ~ the hens have begun laying eggs, given to malnourished inpatients at the local health center (see Basaija with some of the first eggs, picture on the left). We are so grateful for your partnership in spreading God’s love to malnourished and at-risk children in Bundibugyo.

“If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk, and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. The Lord will guide you always; He will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame.” Is 58:9b – 11a

Pray for a Plentiful Harvest!

2007-08-04T08:56:00.000+03:00

On July 23 and 24, we distributed 1000 kg of soybean, groundnut, and sesame seed to farmers in Bubandi and Busaru Sub-counties. We are praying for a plentiful harvest, and that God would use this project to glorify Himself as we all rely on Him for rain and sun to grow up healthy plants. We hope to use the resulting harvest for another seed distribution, and we also hope to use the soybeans, groundnuts, and sesame seeds to produce a nutrient-dense paste for malnourished children in Bundibugyo. Pray for the literal and Spiritual harvests both to be rich and plentiful!

"But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty, or thirty times what was sown." Mt 13:23

Bad Beans

2007-06-22T12:46:00.000+03:00

On Monday, we were just completing what we thought was another successful food distribution when things turned unexpectedly ugly. None of the babies who had been tested that day turned out to be HIV positive (hallelujah!) and the story of the feeding of the 5, 000 had been told - most hearing it for the first time - reminding us all of the God who loves us and whose resources are limitless. Following this, 130 women each received 20 kilos of beans, a 1/2 kilo bag of salt and a 5 liter jug of oil, but just as we gave out the last ration of food, Scott and I were almost mobbed by 40 disgruntled and unhappy recipients. It turns out they had received beans that had been left over from one of our previous distributions in March and the beans had become "old". In comparing their beans with those who got fresh, newer beans, they were angry with us. The old beans would take longer to cook - one woman even demanded that we give them charcoal - and would be less palatable. It was a very discouraging moment . We found ourselves suggesting that since the beans were a gift, they were free to refuse them.... and at first many of them walked away leaving their bags of beans on the floor. But in the end, the women relented and took them home, reluctantly. It was a lesson in the importance of equity in this culture whenever gifts are concerned and it was a lesson in humility for me. For though I may not know the difference between fresh beans and 3 month old beans, women who are farmers and who grow them in their own gardens certainly do and they are not to be underestimated.

2007-06-16T08:48:00.001+03:00

Binyobwa Bisemeye Mu Bana!

2007-06-16T08:36:00.000+03:00

Groundnuts are good food for children! We have started a new "Peanut Butter" Project, hoping to eventually create a high-protein nut paste for children in the decentralized nutrition programs. We also hope to promote this paste for children in general, to decrease the incidence of stunting (low height-for-age) in Bundibugyo.

We brought back 3 hand-powered nut grinders from America, and 2 Universal Nut Shellers, donated by the Full Belly Project (http://www.fullybellyproject.org/). Geofrey and I were trained on how to use the Nut Shellers in Iganga District (see pictures). This project is part of our vision to transition to using local foods to care for malnourished children.

Alice - one month later

2007-06-07T12:49:00.001+03:00

On Sunday, I returned from a month away and had been back just over 24 hours when I was coming home from visiting friends and found that Alice was on her way to see me. She looked sadder than usual with her eyes large and heavy, and I soon learned why: her 3 month old, Kansime Edina, had died 2 weeks before. Though Edina was her 5th child, she was the 3rd child Alice has buried. What grief she must feel. She fought back tears as we talked through our translator, Pauline, who is an extension worker on the Matiti project. To make matters more complicated, as her baby's health had deteriorated, she had borrowed 70,000 Ugandan shillings (about $38) to pay for Edina's medicines and then ultimately used what was remaining for her funeral. Funerals are a big community event here. Since Alice personally didn't have this money, she used her goat as collateral and now she needed to re-pay the goatkeeper in order to get her goat back. I offered to cover the cost of getting her goat back, but until she is in a less "urban" situation, the goat, which was a gift from World Harvest's Mattiti project, will be returned and kept at the goat farm on the mission. Alice was less than pleased about this, but right now its really the only (and best) solution. She has nowhere to keep the goat and trying to care for it in the middle of overcrowded Nyahuka Trading Center, she risks losing it to sickness, death, or even theft. Then, though the baby has been buried, at the end of this month are the final funeral rites. This is another community-wide event where family and friends gather to pay their final respects, and involves feeding those who come. Understandly Alice wants to give her baby girl an honorable send-off from this world, but how brutal this seems. Not only is she grieving the loss of her third child, but she is struggling to find the money to bury her with dignity. I will assist her in doing so ( by providing a gift in the way of cash), but was reminded by Donato, my Ugandan colleague, that there are others in our Kwejuna Project just as needy as she is. Oh, for the wisdom to know how to best help these needy and vulnerable ones....

Alice

2007-04-29T15:27:00.000+03:00

On Friday evening, as a rainstorm was beginning to blow in, Lamech, the Ugandan extension worker for our Matiti (goat) project, visited my home to tell me about the plight of one of our HIV positve mothers and goat recipients, Alice. He had been following up on her goat in the village where she lived, only to learn that she had moved into nearby Nyahuka trading center without her goat - whom she left with another goat keeper - but with her 5 children and her mother. Recently widowed, her home in the village was accidently burned to the ground by one of her children, and she was only able to afford to rent a small shelter. Lamech took me to her home, just behind a main road and I found her huddled in a tiny grass covered hut, smaller than the size of our 8ft x 4ft cho (pit latrine) and much less glamourous: unpainted mud walls and an unfinished floor. The door was ajar and she was cooking food just inside the doorway over a charcoal stove, with a newborn baby in her lap, and her 3 and 5 year olds playing on an old, tattered 4 inch mattress. I wondered to myself who got to sleep on it at night. Both of the children were coughing heavily and frequently. The room was so small that neither Lamech nor I could fit inside and so we sat just outside the door, our eyes tingling with smoke from the hot coals. All of Alice's wordly possessions were contained in this tiny room that she shares with 6 other people. As if that weren't bad enough, on the other side of one of the walls, inches from where they live, sleep, and eat was a pit latrine the same size as her shelter.

It was truly one of the worst housing situations I have ever seen, and I just couldn't help thinking of how vivid this picture was of what a terribly broken world we live in. We talked about her options- building a new home on property owned by her husband's family but Lamech said that would cost upward of 1 million Ugandan shillings (about $600) which is currently beyond what I can help her to do - or at least in the short term, moving to another place to live. She was confident that other rented rooms were available nearby, at least with cement walls and zinc roofs, even if they didn't offer any separate space for cookng. So I gave her money to rent such a place for the next few months. I then came slowly home with a heavy heart and a deeper appreciation for my 3 bedroom house, my electric lights, my running water which I heated for a bucket bath, my spacious kitchen, and the nutritious dinner I prepared and sat down to eat. My assistance to her felt like little more than a band aid because that's really all it was.

It was extremely humbling.

There but for the grace of God go I.

The Survivors

2007-04-28T15:11:00.000+03:00

From 204 to 39…after the coccidiosis plague subsided, we are left with 39 chickens. (Basaija is counting the remaining birds.) I am reminded that God works through weakness, and He “chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.” He has already used this situation to humble me, and to build greater faith in me. As a team, we look forward to seeing how such a small flock of chickens will be used by Him.

Baby Goat on the Move

2007-04-28T09:17:00.000+03:00

The night before the goat distribution a goat named Opera gave birth to a little boy kid. It was white with some brown spots. He awkwardly moved his long legs to hobble around. They stayed with us for a 2 weeks to make sure they were all well. My children enjoyed helping with the milkings which happened twice a day. This week, Opera and Ricky (as my kids dubbed him) headed off on two motorcycles to their new home. Opera is giving nearly a liter of milk a day and Ricky is suckling as well. The breeder, who is HIV+ will rapidly wean her 6 month old child and start giving goat's milk. In a few months, when the child is tested for HIV, we hope to find her negative.

Beans, Oil and a Bag of Salt

2007-04-22T15:24:00.000+03:00

This past Thursday, we had our second food distribution of the year and our largest ever: 130 women came, many with babies and young children and several with their husbands, to haul home 20 kilos of beans and a 3 litre jug of cooking oil. The beans came by lorry from Kasese, a town in the west of Uganda about 4 hours away from here. The oil was bought from Kampala-based Mukwano Industries, one of the largest companies in this country that supplies all sorts of household goods. After we had registered all the women, weighed them and their babies, and tested those babies and children who had not yet been tested, one of the women approached Donato, our Ugandan colleague, and asked him "Where is the salt?" Truthfully we had not planned to give out salt, but it is locally available in large quantities - though it actually comes from Kenya - and is very inexpensive. Plus it was a very reasonable request: salt will definitely make those beans more tasty! So, Scott and Donato drove down to Nyahuka Trading Center, less than 1 kilometer away, and within minutes returned with 150 bags of salt.

As I watched the women taking home their bags of salt, along with their beans and oil, I was reminded that salt was important to Jesus too. He told his followers, "You are the salt of the earth" and so he calls us to live distinctive (flavorful) lives that bring him honor and glory.

Join Us!

2007-04-18T07:16:00.000+03:00

As God has called us to Bundibugyo many of us have our children with us. We have 16 children on the team currently, most of them are school aged. We are hoping for one more teacher for them in their 4 room school house we call Rwenzori Mission School. If you are interested in joining the team as a teacher, thus facilitating the health, nutrition, Christ School, church strengthening efforts of this place, check it out on the WHM website. It will allow you to serve the team as well as immerse yourself in the beauty of Bundibugyo and it's people.

Donato

2007-04-15T21:33:00.000+03:00

Meet Donato, the Senior Administrative Assistant for the Kwejuna Project, which serves HIV positive women and their families. Actually its a very misleading job title since Donato's role is quite varied. Donato has been with working with World Harvest for almost 4 years now, before the Kwejuna Project even had a name. He was one of the folks chosen as a community mobilizer in the fall of 2003 when Drs. Scott & Jennifer were informing communties about the upcoming HIV prevention project that was about to be launched for pregnant women. Donato did such an outstanding job of organizing these community events and liaising with the local village heads, that he was brought on to provide day to day support and supervision to what came to be known as the Kwejuna Project. His role involves making sure the sites - now 9 - have adequate supplies to conduct HIV testing to all mothers who come for prenatal care; helping to collect data for the monthly, bi-monthly and quarterly reports we are required to submit; and helping to work with the many staff scattered across the district. His latest responsibility has been to take on the procuring of over 3,000 kilos of beans from Kasese - a town 4 hours away - as part of our food supplement program. The latest shipment of beans arrived last Thursday, and have been stacked in our store, ready to be given out to the 125 women expected to arrive this Thursday. What a blessing Donato is to the Kwejuna project!

Goats, God's provision

2007-04-14T13:58:00.000+03:00

It was a goat party, one big goat party, the kind God would throw, where mostly widows, orphans, the infected and desperate were invited. About a hundred adults (which in Africa means at least a hundred kids tagging along) gathered on Thursday for the distribution of 68 specially breeded dairy goats, the fruits of Karen’s Matiti project, purchased by generous donations from friends in the US, and arranged by Karen’s visionary work here. The goats arrived from a dairy-goat-farm British mission project in Masaka (near Kampala) on Tuesday. After a day of feeding and sorting and matching ear tags with lists of eligible patients, the community gathered for the celebration. A representative of the recipients, mostly HIV-positive women and a smattering of grandmothers caring for orphans, got up to say that they would be praying for God to bless our mission. That was powerful for me, the prayers of the poor extravagantly poured upon us. For me these were not just names on a list, or faces in a crowd. I could remember grieving with this woman the death of her child, or celebrating with that one the news that the baby had avoided infection, or struggling to pull another’s infant through severe illness. Pamela encouraged the people to care for their animals, and Karen drew the analogy to seeds, as each goat could breed with local varieties so that the blessing could propagate on to many, many families. We live in a district of chronic undernutrition, so that a sustainable source of calories and protein for young children can have wide-ranging benefits for development.

Scott spoke on behalf of the mission, telling the story of Abraham and Isaac in dramatic detail. If you have never lived among people for whom Bible-story standards are as shocking and fresh as a first-run Hollywood movie plot, you can’t appreciate the gasps and laughter. And if you’ve not lived among people for whom goats are the traditional currency and source of life, you can’t imagine the relevance of stories like this one. The child at risk, the grieving and wondering parent, the moment of near-death, the ram in the thicket, God’s provision. The goat saves Isaac’s life. What a context for goats being handed out to people with hungry, marginalized children, to save their lives. Then Scott pointed out that Jesus was the ultimate sacrifice, God’s true provision for our lives. It was a great blending of real-life flesh-and-blood salvation from starvation pointing to deeper truths in the spiritual realm.

Pamela and Karen and Stephanie tirelessly shepherded the waiting recipients through registration and speeches and a generous lunch, then the group migrated from the community center to the Masso yard where the 68 goats were penned. Our veterinary assistants were joined by some of the kids (Acacia, Julia, and Jack) bringing goats out of the pen one by one. It became a nearly whole-team effort to match the goats to the records, the records to the right patient, documenting, handing over. Rascally goats jumped energetically while women stunned at their good fortune grasped ropes and hauled them away towards home.

A community leader from each of 16 subcounties received males to make available for breeding, while the females went to families whose children needed the protein boost of milk (something to think about when you pull a carton of milk out of the fridge so easily).

God’s provision, but detoured through the efforts of many, many people. The kind of party that Jesus would definitely attend. It was so much fun we’d like to do it again this year, if the money comes in.
Jennifer (from our paradoxuganda blog)

The goats have arrived!

2007-04-11T12:38:00.000+03:00

Yesterday, the goats began to enter the truck at 5:15 am. They arrived in Bundibugyo at 6:30pm! It was so nice to receive them in daylight hours. 18 males and 50 females came off the truck and were so happy to be free of the constraints of the snug vehicle. They rushed to eat the food that was laid out for them. Two females were milked immediately. A sick goat was given an injection. The male goats were in a daze and fought wildly. There was serious rearing and head butting going on as they tried to find comfort in their temporary abodes. During the night they were generally quiet, though some head clunking was still heard. Today is their resting day before they meet their new owners tomorrow and walk to their new home. We praise God for these blessings. We are so grateful to so many of you for your part in this journey.

Pauline

2007-04-07T08:28:00.000+03:00

I’d like to introduce you to Pauline. She is an animal husbandry extension worker. She came to Bundibugyo in Sept 2006. She began assessing the health and condition of the dairy goats that had been placed in villages earlier in the year. She went on maternity leave and is back with Keith, a healthy young boy.
Currently she is supervising the 2 projects on mission property: the chicken coop and the Dairy Goat Breeding Station. She will arrange for supplies from Fort Portal like grain feeds, medicines and vaccines. She’ll manage coop changes for the chickens as they grow. She’ll direct the breeding, record keeping and tagging of goats. She will be responsible for identifying and treating sick animals.
She is also designing and overseeing the fodder (animal food) fields as well. There is a small garden for the chickens greens. There will also be a demonstration garden. It will show local people how to grow food for their family on their plots of land, while interspersing it with goat food to get the most out of their land.

Last Minute Goat Preparations

2007-04-07T08:17:00.000+03:00

We are down to the wire now. Lamech has gone back to Masaka to join his family for Easter and meet his newborn little girl- 2wks old. He will return on Tuesday, April 11th with a load of goats. The journey could take up to 12 hours, so they'll leave at sunrise.
Meanwhile, Pauline is making sure we are ready on this end. Invitations for recipients and government officials like the District Veterinary Officer (DVO) are being delivered for the distribution ceremony on Thurs. the 13th. Plans are being made for the catering that day. The goat sheds are ready. A fence is being strengthened. A water tap is being added to the Buck Station on WHM grounds making easy access to drinking water and water for pen cleaning. Materials are being brought for a small storage garage for all the gardening, and feeding supplies, wheelbarrow, etc.
We are looking forward to an exciting week.

Tip of the Iceberg

2007-03-31T15:59:00.000+03:00

Malnutrition in the developing world has been described as an iceberg: acute malnutrition cases (low weight-for-height or weight-for-age) representing only a small portion of those whose nutritional status is negatively influencing their ability to develop into productive members of society. Experts acknowledge there are masses of children who are stunted (low height-for-age), desperately crying out from beneath the surface. This is indeed the case in 3 sub-counties in Bundibugyo, where results of the anthropometric survey WHM conducted in January reveal that 45% of the children we measured had a height-for-age < -2 z-scores from the median of an adequately nourished American reference population.

As we provide families with food aide such as dairy goats, chicken eggs, or groundnut paste, it is our hope that social norms will change so that feeding young children high-protein foods is acceptable. Training on how to care for dairy goats and chickens will increase feasibility and access such foods. Decentralized feeding centers will also help to increase general awareness of the importance of growth monitoring. Finally, we plan to provide additional community education through recipe trials and community dramas. Though these efforts seem small relative to the enormity of the problem, we have hope!

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” Romans 15:13

“You gave abundant showers, O God; you refreshed your weary inheritance. Your people settled in it, and from your bounty, O God, you provided for the poor.” Psalm 68:9&10

Easter Goats

2007-03-31T09:56:00.000+03:00

The goats have now all been vaccinated and have their moving permits. The Tuesday after Easter we hope to have them travel here and be distributed. In the meantime, more training of reciepients has been going on, shelters are being built, and the field for fodder is being cultivated. The rains have started, which allows parisites to thrive, but they also help the growth of the fodder. The fodder is made up of grasses and legume plants (for protein).

Passing on of the gift

2007-03-31T09:52:00.000+03:00

This past week, two goat have been returned to the project. Each family that receives a goat returns the first born female to the program. That goat is then given to another needy family. This helps make the program sustainable and blesses the community.

Vaccinations!

2007-03-15T07:50:00.000+03:00

2007-03-14T15:49:00.000+03:00

The Chicks!

2007-03-13T15:32:00.000+03:00

Corn-Soymeal, Beans & Oil

2007-03-13T15:26:00.000+03:00

Yesterday was a glorious day where 115 Kwejuna (HIV positive) mothers came to the World Harvest Mission Community Center to receive food supplements for themselves and their families. This distribution continued right where we left off last year, and if you hadn't known that our previous food supplier, the UN's World Food Program (WFP), has left Bundibugyo, it would not have been evident. With some 100+ corn-soymeal blend bags and 70 containers of cooking oil left over from WFP; the generous support of a couple in my home church in New York City (Redeemer Presbyterian Church) which is enabling us to buy food locally; and the competence of Donato, our Ugandan colleague, who travelled to nearby Kasese (4 hours away) and purchased over 3,000 kilos of beans; we were able to serve our mothers as if it was business as usual. What a joy it was to see these women coming from near and far, babies in tow, defying the stigma attached to those living with HIV here, hauling home food for their families for the next 5 weeks!

"So do not worry, saying 'what shall we eat?'...for... your heavenly Father knows that you need them." Matt 6:31-32.

The chicks have arrived!

2007-03-11T14:43:00.000+03:00

“…how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings…” Matthew 23:37

Would you believe that this passage was in my daily Bible reading on March 8, the very day the chicks arrived?! I praise God that all the chicks arrived safely and soundly from Kampala on Thursday evening around 9pm. Though we ordered only 200, today after vaccinating the chicks against New Castle disease, Basaija, our chicken keeper, counted 203 chicks! That means Ugachick gave us 4 free chicks (sadly one died on Friday morning). The chicks look healthy and happy, they are running around the brooder, and even starting to develop wings! In the brooder, there are: four special chicken ‘drinkers’ which provide the chicks with glucose-spiked water; pots filled with charcoal and fire at night to provide heat; apple trays filled with chicken mash (food); and lanterns to provide light all night so that the chicks can see their food. Basaija sleeps in the coop to make sure the heat source does not catch the coop on fire, and to make sure that the chicks stay warm, well-watered, and well-fed. Keep praying for the overall well-being of these chicks as they grow, that their eggs would be a source of Jesus's healing shalom for children here in Bundibugyo.

Goat Delay

2007-03-08T12:29:00.000+03:00

The goat distribution will be pushed back yet again. This time because of new moving restrictions on animals. Last year there was Foot and Mouth Disease in Masaka (the district that boasts the best and most dairy goats). The movement ban was lifted last November, but now goats must wait 3 weeks after their vaccination before they can travel. We’re now looking at mid-April. Please pray for the goats to come without another delay and come in full health.

Buck breeding station

2007-03-01T12:31:00.000+03:00

Last Week: Materials and Empty Field

This Week: Partially constructed goat sheds

The happy sound of hammering outside my widows has been common lately. A dairy goat breeding station is being constructed on World Harvest Mission property (actually my side yard). We have a house for a male, a large house for a herd of our local females that we hope to breed hybrids from, and a house for the visiting local female goats that belong to community members who wish to breed with this dairy male. I already have a raised goat house for my hybrid females who we hope to breed and then distribute to needy families who can benefit from the milk. It seems like the 19^th of March the 62 goats will travel by truck on a full day’s journey to reach here. Then on the 20^th, 44 people will come to receive their goats. The rest will remain behind for future distributions. Pray for smooth transition and a huge milk supply.

Both surviving & thriving!

2007-02-22T15:31:00.000+03:00

This Wednesday at our HIV care clinic, two of my favorite patients, a set of fraternal twins showed up with their teenage mother and a 12 year old helper. Their mother is 18, about 4 feet 10 and extremely petite. When I arrived in Bundibugyo early last year, I met them for the first time, also at that clinic where their mother receives care, and they were both malnourised and underweight. The little girl especially, Nyakato (right), did not appear to be doing well. (There are a suprising number of twins born here it seems, but often both children don't make it.) I took a real liking to these kids and followed them with interest over the year. Their weights crept slowly upwards, but Nyakato always looked sickly beside her healthier brother, Nsingoma (left). Their mother was faithful in breastfeeding them, in addition to giving them the regular food supplements she received from our nutrition clinic - usually a corn-soymeal blend with oil and sugar - but mixed feeding (breast milk & solid food) from an HIV positive mother carries with it an increased risk of infection for the babies.

Since the twins were approaching the 18 month mark - they were born in October 2005 - I was eager to test them for HIV and have been praying that they would not be infected. Nsingoma screamed mercilessly during and after his finger stick test, but the temper tantrum he proceeded to have was worth it. (He subsequently fell asleep on his mother's back.) Both twins tested HIV negative! Hallelujah. This felt like such a gift, to have both children HIV free and doing well. Yes, they are currently thriving. But children can still get sick - from malaria or diahhreal diseases and go downhill quickly here - so they are not out of the woods, but to not have HIV as part of that mix for them is a real blessing.

When those barely surviving don't make it

2007-02-18T15:33:00.002+03:00

On Friday afternoon, I returned from a 3 day meeting hosted by the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF) in Mbarara, to learn that Kyamanuwa, the HIV infected boy I wrote about last week had lost his fight for life. I was deeply saddened. The last time I saw him, he was extremely thin and frail, but I was praying and hoping that his tiny body would begin to respond to the HIV drugs (antiretrovials) he'd been given. It was not to be. The following day on Saturday, Jennifer and I rode our bikes out to visit his family, armed with the name of his village and the names of both of his parents. After a few misguided sets of directions from well-meaning folks we met on the way who didn't really know the family, we located the house, and found both of his parents and his extended family grieving. The burial had been that morning and there were no more tears visible, but the sense of sorrow and heaviness was palpable. Like him, Kyamanuwa's mother has HIV. His father's HIV status is unknown because he's not yet come to be tested. Kyamanuwa is the second child his mother has lost. Only one more, a 6 year old, is still alive. I don't know if either of this child's parents will live long enough to see their child grow up. I also don't know if this child will even survive its childhood. But what I do know is that I have returned from the EGPAF meeting energized and encouraged to train our staff to implement a more complex drug regimen for HIV infected pregnant mothers to prevent transmission to their babies. It will be much more challenging for both staff, mothers, and babies because it means pregnant HIV positive women will have to start taking preventive drugs as early as 28 weeks into their pregnancies - until they deliver - and their newborn babies will have to take these drugs for a week after they are born instead of just a single pill for mother and single dose of syrup for the baby. BUT, if this can happen, the chance of having a baby that is HIV infected is reduced from 30% to just 2%.

Could this more complicated regimen have saved Kyamanuwa from becoming HIV infected? Only God knows the answer to that, but we can be confident that we will see Kyamanuwa again one day - in heaven. My prayer, as Jennifer prayed when we were there, is that his mother can share in this hope as well.

Which came first?

2007-02-17T08:11:00.000+03:00

We hope the order is (1) chicken coop; (2) baby chicks; (3) many eggs for malnourished and at-risk children! The chicken coop is finally finished, and we plan to transport day-old hybrid "layer" chicks from Kampala on March 5. On Thursday, the interior of the chicken coop was sprayed with a strong insecticide, so in two weeks the coop should be ready for the chicks!

Valparaiso's World Relief Campaign

2007-02-15T15:01:00.000+03:00

The 16^th of February will kick off Valparaiso University’s World Relief Campaign. We are excited about their efforts to raise money to bolster the nutrition efforts for malnourished children in Bundibugyo. The funding will be used to empower communites to create sustainable decentralized feeding centers. This will involve recipe trials for nutritious foods, soybeans for planting and returning back to the program, chickens/chicken coops for eggs, and male dairy goats for breeding with local female goats, providing a local milk supply for needy children. We want to thank the SALT committee and all of those who are working so hard to make this a successful campaign. We will be happy to answer any questions you have along the way. Feel free to comment.

What is the Kwejuna Project?

2007-02-11T15:28:00.000+03:00

The Kwejuna project is a World Harvest Mission program that is supported by a grant from the US-based Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF) which Drs. Scott & Jennifer Myhre received at the end of 2003. The main aim of the Kwejuna project was to establish a district-wide program in Bundibugyo to prevent mother to child transmission of HIV (PMTCT). HIV infected mothers can pass HIV onto their babies during pregnancy, during delivery and through their breastmilk. The program identifies pregnant mothers who are HIV positive by offering HIV counseling and testing to all pregnant women at their first prenatal care visit. Most women agree to be tested, the results are available within 20-30 minutes, and before the women go home that day, they (and we) are aware of who is HIV infected. For those who test positive, they receive additional counseling about what this means for them and their baby and they are then given a single dose of an HIV drug called nevirapine to take during labor. The baby is also supposed to get this drug, in syrup form, within 3 days of its birth, and this combination of drug to both mother and baby, cut in half the risk that a baby will be born HIV infected. Without any drug intervention, an HIV infected mother has about a 30% chance of having a baby that is also HIV infected.

From the pregnant mothers attending prenatal care who were first tested in April 2004, we have so far tested over 21,000 (!) and identified a little under 600 who are HIV infected (which is an HIV prevalence of 2.5%). The program began in 2 sites that year and by the end of 2006 was operational in all 9 Ministry of Health-run health centers, and largely implemented by Ministry of Health staff that the Kwejuna project, with EGPAF support, has helped to train in PMTCT. EGPAF has also paid for us to encourage mothers to deliver at health centers by supporting the cost of a mama kit which is given as a gift/incentive for every health center delivery. (This is important because most mothers here, 70-80%, deliver their babies at home and this makes it really challenging for the baby born to the HIV positive mother to receive the nevirapine syrup in time for it to make a difference.) The mama kit, given out to all mothers regardless of their HIV status, includes a plastic sheet which covers the delivery table, sterile gloves, a tie for the umbilical cord, and a sterile blade to cut the cord. The highlight of the kit is a piece of local cloth, called a kitengye, which the new born baby is wrapped in (like in the picture) and then goes home in. Giving a kitengye to every new born baby in a health center has been a huge hit and in 2006 we saw a 30% increase in births at health centers across the district.

Other aspects of the Kwejuna project include linking our mothers into HIV care so that they can receive HIV drugs for themselves and remain healthy for longer. We also try to link any familiy members, including their husbands or babies, who are HIV infected into HIV care as well. Another aspect of Kwejuna is the provision of food supplements to these families. (See the 'God gives generously' blog entry for a description of that.)

The Kwejuna project takes its name from the expression of congratulations that are given to women here when they have just delivered a baby. Webale Kwejuna means thank you for surviving (the birth of your baby).

Nutrition Drama

2007-02-10T17:31:00.000+03:00

Community drama is one way to spread the word about the importance of good nutrition early in life. So 3 nutrition dramas were commissioned and performed in Bundibugyo District in January, 2007, in the villages of Busunga, Butama, and Buganikere. The main themes of the drama were that good nutrition early in life can help children grow and develop well, ultimately contributing to their success in life, and that one does not have to be wealthy to provide healthy foods for family members. The plot was outlined by 3 Ugandan friends, and details were added by the Bubandi Youth Drama Group, commissioned to perform the dramas. The drama follows 2 families: a rich man’s family and a poor man’s family. The rich man does not go to the maternity ward with his pregnant wife, does not help her with chores when she is pregnant, and spends his resources on things like nice clothes and a motorcycle. The poor man goes to the maternity ward with his wife, humbly helps with chores especially when she is pregnant, and pours a lot into thinking about and providing healthy foods to feed his family, mostly from his garden. There is an emphasis on the following messages:
-Breast milk is really good for children.
-Children (and adults!) need some food from 3 different food groups at each meal. The groups are body building foods (soybeans, groundnuts, eggs, meat, fish), energy providing foods (yams, rice, cassava), and protective foods (papaya, oranges, local greens).
-Hygiene is important.
-Plant-based protein sources are healthy and inexpensive; one does not have to eat meat to be healthy.

One of my favorite parts of the drama is the beginning, when the group sings, dances, and drums to draw a crowd! The group's energy and love for what they are doing is really contagious!

God gives generously

2007-02-10T09:15:00.000+03:00

Several days ago, I wrote an introduction about myself and closed with describing one of the highlights of my role as coordinating bi-monthly food distributions for our Kwejuna mothers and their families. For the last several years, the United Nation's World Food Program (WFP) has been providing food supplements (usually corn-soymeal blend, beans, oil and sometimes rice) in Bundibugyo to malnourished babies and infants, primary school children, and most recently HIV infected mothers and their families. However, WFP decided to shift their emphasis to other areas of Uganda and closed their Bundibugyo office at the end of last year. Since having adequate nutrition is an essential component of good health for those living with HIV, we sought to continue to provide food supplements focussing on protein rich foods like beans, and adding cooking oil, with private funds that we hoped to raise through our supporters and churches. These food distributions serve not just as an opportunity to provide good nutrition, but also serve as a way to follow-up on our mothers, test their babies and husbands and link them to care, provide social support, and offer spiritual encouragement and the hope of the gospel.

In the days since I mentioned our desire to keep this food program going, I have received news that a generous couple from my home church, Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City, have donated the full amount to keep this program alive for another year! I am in awe of their generosity. As I shared this with the Kwejuna mothers at a family support group I was running yesterday, the women clapped and cheered loudly. It was thrilling to see their unbridled gratitude. I also had the opportunity to remind them- and myself- that this is ultimately a generous gift from God, the giver of all good and perfect gifts. Mukama assimwe! Praise be to God!

Keren

2007-02-08T15:04:00.000+03:00

This past Tuesday we had our monthly milk distribution for the motherless infants in the area. 42 children were brought from as far as the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) despite the pouring rain. We were so pleased to see many chubby children and others who were making good progress. We enrolled 6 new motherless infants, a set of premature twins averaging 4 pounds each, and a severely malnourished 8 month old who was about 9 lbs 9 oz.

The newborn pictured here has a neat story. Her caretaker lives in DRC and for a year has been breastfeeding a little cutie named Sukrani. He was a relative to her divorced husband, but the woman volunteered to nurse the child. We assisted the caretaker, whom we now call Mama Sukrani, with a food stipend to keep up her milk supply and some porridge when the child was older. Pat would say that if she would be any child in this program, she’d want to be Sukrani, because he was so well loved and cared for. We were not the only ones who noticed. The little girl pictured here lost her mother soon after her birth on New Year’s Day 2007. The community knew immediately what to do. They found Mama Sukrani and asked her to breastfeed her. She willingly agreed. Later, she gave her my name, Keren.

Surviving, but barely

2007-02-08T07:41:00.000+03:00

Take a look at this beautiful child, Kyamanuwa. His mother is in our Kwejuna Project and when this photo was taken in early December, he was a picture of health. At that point, he had tested HIV negative and we thought he would be fine, but in the following weeks, he began to lose weight and become very sickly. Dr. Jennifer Myhre then re-tested him for HIV and found he had become infected (either because he may have already been infected when he tested negative but it wasn't evident because there is a delay in when antibodies to HIV show up on a test, or perhaps he became infected from his mother's breastmilk after testing HIV negative). What a cruel irony.... I saw him yesterday in the clinic and almost burst into tears in front of his mother. He was barely recognizable, except for his large penetrative, still curious eyes. He looked at me through them with recognition, but I couldn't coax a smile from him. No wonder. He was covered in a rash and looked like just skin and bones, as he tried to grasp a small piece of bread which he could then barely swallow. Dr. Jennifer has started him on HIV drugs (antiretrovirals) but so far his body doesn't seem to be responding to them. These drugs, when they work, can bring people who are on the edge just hanging onto life, back from the brink. Please, please join me in praying for Kyamanuwa. I truly believe that prayers offered up to our God - the one who created and loves children - on Kyamanuwa's behalf can extend the life of this precious child. (For Dr. Jennifer's story about Kyamanuwa, visit her blog at www.paradoxuganda.blogspot.com).

Pamela

2007-02-05T15:27:00.000+03:00

Hi, I'm Pamela Brown-Peterside and I help to manage the Kwejuna Project, our program which aims to prevent the transmission of HIV from mothers to their children (PMTCT). Following 9 years of directing a community-based research site in New York City with high-risk HIV negative women, I first came to Bundibugyo in November 2004 to help out with Kwejuna when it was in its first year. I was drawn to coming here in large part because I was excited about moving into prevention with HIV infected women, serving on the frontline of the epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa and doing so living and working alongside other Christians. I stayed for 3 months, and then felt called to return for a 2 year committment and arrived back here in January 2006. My role in Kwejuna is largely administrative. I help to support our sites -we now have 9 - by providing supervisory support to the Ministry of Health staff who implement the program, ensuring they have have adequate supplies to conduct regular HIV counseling and testing for our pregnant mothers, and assisting with obtaining monthly reports from these sites, which give us a sense of how the program is doing. I also try to track the follow-up of women who are identified as HIV positive and faciliate their linkage into care. In Bundibugyo, there are 2 Ministry of Health clinics that provide HIV care and antiretroviral drugs to infected patients, and I help to facilitate the smooth running of these under-staffed and bursting-at-the-seams out-patient services. I have also worked with traditional birth attendants (also known as lay midwives) by providing training to them about PMTCT and encouraging a stronger relationship between them and professionally trained midwives who are hospital based. One of the highlights of my role over the past year has been to co-ordinate bi-monthly distributions of food to our Kwejuna mothers and their families, which up until the end of 2006 had been supplied by the UN's World Food Program. Now that these food supplements have ended, we are currently hoping to raise funds (about $15,000) to continue this program for an additional year. If you would like to contribute to this effort, please email me at PamelaBrownPeterside@gmail.com for more information about how to do so. Thanks!

I don't have a personal blog per se, but if you'd like to know more about my work in Bundibugyo with World Harvest Mission over the past year, please visit www.lamppostmedia.net.

Alex

2007-02-03T09:21:00.000+03:00

This is Alex. He is a Ugandan Christ School agriculture teacher with a lot of knowledge and hands on experience with chickens, goats, even fish! He is also working as a chicken consultant. Alex is coordinating the construction of the chicken coop, purchase of chickens, vaccinations, and hiring of a chicken keeper. Alex is really hard-working, with responsibilities ranging from teaching students to caring for goats and fish ponds. I admire his devotion to his family - though he lives far from them, he pays school fees for his younger brothers.

Lamech

2007-02-02T15:26:00.000+03:00

Here is a gifted man. Lamech has come to serve in this remote district, though his home is elsewhere in Uganda. His training is in animal husbandry, and he is a terrific communicator. Since Sept 2006 he's been visiting the homes of all of the local dairy goat breeders to bring encouragement and has continued training on care and feeding of the goats. There is not a good veterinary care system in place in Bundibugyo, so he also provides those services. December and January he spent his days meeting with sub county leaders and their communities. Some days he has about 100 people gather to learn. He is helping them to understand the value of dairy goats and how their care differs from the local goats that are in abundance. Lamech is also helping the people who will receive goats at the next distribution (planned for March) prepare shelters and identify fodder. People are always telling him how grateful they are for his time and valued advice.

Stephanie

2007-02-02T07:58:00.000+03:00

Hey everyone, I’m Stephanie Jilcott. When I was a World Harvest intern in Bundibugyo 2 years ago, I worked on the World Harvest Mission/ Nyahuka Health Center Nutrition Program. After completing my graduate studies in nutrition, I decided to return to Bundibugyo for 18 months to continue working with the WHM/NHC Nutrition Program. I am also working on decentralization of the current Program to 2-3 additional health centers in the district; with decentralization, we hope to transition to providing patients with locally available foods. One locally available food is eggs - We have nearly finished construction of a chicken coop as part of a demonstration project to use eggs for children in the nutrition program. To educate the community about the importance of healthy young child feeding practices, we have commissioned nutrition dramas to be performed in several villages. In January 2007, we collected anthropometric data from 900 children from 30 different villages in Bundibugyo to guide programmatic efforts.

Scott & Jennifer

2007-02-01T07:28:00.000+03:00

Our team leaders, Drs. Scott & Jennifer Myhre, have been addressing health concerns in this community for well over a decade. Currently they are running the Kwejuna Project which acts to prevent the transmission of HIV from mother to child (PMTCT). They provide medical attention to the mothers and children. For over a year, they have been the conduits of World Food Program rations for HIV/AIDS mothers. Now they are looking for other sources of nutritional assistance. Jennifer has spearheaded the WHM/NHC Nutrition Program and continues to care for the sick children who are enrolled as well as those who are inpatient at Nyahuka Health Center. They have a great blog: http://www.paradoxuganda.blogspot.com/.

WHM/NHC Nutrition Program

2007-01-31T15:09:00.000+03:00

The World Harvest Mission/Nyahuka Health Center Nutrition Program has been operational for over 3 years. Missionaries, Nyahuka Health Center workers and community volunteers have worked to provide food to moderately to severely malnourished children, motherless infants and children affected by HIV/AIDS. Bi-weekly, children come to be weighed, to receive food rations and medical attention.

o FOOD: World Food Program has donated food for that past few years, but has recently given us the final food allowance, as they are funneling their resources to Uganda’s war-torn north. We will use the remaining food for extreme cases only and it should last a few more months.
o MILK: World Harvest Mission’s Uganda Infant Diaconal Fund (funded by individual donors like you and Bread & Water for Africa) has been supplying the program with milk. A stipend is provided for women who act as surrogate breastfeeders. Boxed milk or formula is provided for those who have no wet nurse. It costs about $1/day for these artificial milk feeds. We’d like to provide families with dairy goats as a more sustainable source of milk (Matiti Project).