Everything is going really well at TASO. I have gotten to do a lot of different things so far. Friday I spent the morning learning about the aromatherapy and reflexology services they provide and watched one of the procedures, which was really cool. Really elaborate clinical aromatherapy services – which I have never really learned about (they make different combinations of oils depending on the ailment). Mixtures for nearly everything: skin conditions, TB, diarrhead, respiratory problems, stress, sciatica, must have 20 or 30 different things) and then mix it with vegetable oil and massage the patient.
I spent Friday afternoon with the drama group and got to go out to one of the villages with them (about 2 hours away). The group is all people living with HIV/AIDS and they go out and sing (absolutely beautiful) and act out skits to sensitize people in villages, as well as talk about TASO and its services, answer questions about AIDS and HIV as well as provide condoms to the community. So we all crammed into a matatu (taxi van) and were off. The way there was hilarious because they were asking me all these questions about Canada (things that they had heard): that we eat snakes, that we have divorce contracts that we sign when we get married, haha lots of funny stuff. Drama group is absolutely hilarious and is a testament to what positive living should be about. They are loud, talkative, always laughing and poking fun at one another. Also talked to them a lot about issues around HIV and AIDS here – compared to Canada (the age people begin to “play sex” – as they call it, peoples perceptions in Uganda about condoms – they say that many people say that many people believe that “Condoms are not true love”).
Once we arrived at the village there was a group of women pumping water from the well and a big line of jerry cans ready to be filled. I got to try pumping water (I could only last about five minutes!) – it’s really tough work. The audience for the performance wasn’t as large as usual (normally about 70 people) as there were 2 burials in the village that day. They decided to perform a shortened act which I only partly understood as most of it was in Luganda. Then part way through it started pouring so everyone scattered so we ended up leaving a little early.
On the way back we got stuck in a massive traffic jam and took about an extra hour to get home. Went off-roading a couple times which was a little scary. Got stuck in the mud and got out and pushed. Hahah… when in Africa.
Great time – enjoying it soo much! Wanted to say thanks for all the emails with encouragement and sorry if I haven’t replied. Lots of love,
leslie.
I spent Friday afternoon with the drama group and got to go out to one of the villages with them (about 2 hours away). The group is all people living with HIV/AIDS and they go out and sing (absolutely beautiful) and act out skits to sensitize people in villages, as well as talk about TASO and its services, answer questions about AIDS and HIV as well as provide condoms to the community. So we all crammed into a matatu (taxi van) and were off. The way there was hilarious because they were asking me all these questions about Canada (things that they had heard): that we eat snakes, that we have divorce contracts that we sign when we get married, haha lots of funny stuff. Drama group is absolutely hilarious and is a testament to what positive living should be about. They are loud, talkative, always laughing and poking fun at one another. Also talked to them a lot about issues around HIV and AIDS here – compared to Canada (the age people begin to “play sex” – as they call it, peoples perceptions in Uganda about condoms – they say that many people say that many people believe that “Condoms are not true love”).
Once we arrived at the village there was a group of women pumping water from the well and a big line of jerry cans ready to be filled. I got to try pumping water (I could only last about five minutes!) – it’s really tough work. The audience for the performance wasn’t as large as usual (normally about 70 people) as there were 2 burials in the village that day. They decided to perform a shortened act which I only partly understood as most of it was in Luganda. Then part way through it started pouring so everyone scattered so we ended up leaving a little early.
On the way back we got stuck in a massive traffic jam and took about an extra hour to get home. Went off-roading a couple times which was a little scary. Got stuck in the mud and got out and pushed. Hahah… when in Africa.
Great time – enjoying it soo much! Wanted to say thanks for all the emails with encouragement and sorry if I haven’t replied. Lots of love,
leslie.
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