Janine M LeGrand
PO Box 399 Ambridge, PA 15003 email: phone from US: +256 774 654 350 October 2016
Hi Everyone!
I wanted to update you on what is going on. I had a wonderful trip back to the US—everyone was so kind and it was great to see everyone. And thank you for so much great food! I made it back safely to Masindi, Uganda -where I immediately jumped back into work. I didn’t know it, but there was trouble ahead. While I was on the trip, my brother noticed that at times I seemed to get unusually out of breath and at times my heartbeat seemed fast; I shrugged it off. Soon after returning to Uganda, I developed a cough—thought it was a lower respiratory tract infection, no big deal. But despite several courses of treatment, I kept getting worse. In time, my doctor here sent me to the capital (Nakasero Hospital) to get an ultrasound for my heart. When I saw the cardiologist, he immediately told me he was hospitalizing me as I was in heart failure. After a bunch of tests, I got dosed up with morphine and a bunch of heart/BP drugs and was told to only lay down and rest completely—not even phone calls. My Bishop here even came to see me in Nakasero Hospital, but was refused by the cardiologist, so as to not stress me—and hardly anybody here says “no” to a Bishop in this culture!
I improved rapidly and was released after 3 days, but I was very weak. It has been a long gradual road to getting my strength back. My doctor here in Masindi, Dr. Godson, has been great in helping me. I was blessed that shortly after I came home we had a team of doctors from America including a cardiologist, who affirmed the work of the Kampala cardiologist as being on-track and worked with Dr. Godson to adjust my medications. At first I would work just a little bit, then had to stop as I had severe coughing; but I have worked up to a full-time schedule now. I have also managed to lose more than 10 lbs and am exercising daily. I am now managing the long days when we go out into multiple villages. Here I am last week with my team as we plan with people at a village, where we plan to bring a OneWorld Health medical team in December. It will be the first time for the village to receive a OneWorld Health team clinic. The teams travel from Charleston, SC and have lots of medical staff and trained volunteers.
One thing which has been on my mind recently is the importance of working together with other people. Americans tend to be more individualistic than Ugandans. It can be frustrating working with people with different cultural thinking, different ways of doing things, etc. Like many Americans, at times I just want to “get it done.” Working with others is usually slower but more effective. Let me tell you about the team I have which does the preparation for the visiting medical teams—they are pictured above, left. Our newest member is an American Peace Corp member, Janie. She has a strong health background and is working with Masindi Kitara Health Centre in Public Health. Next to her is Naomi, a nurse who helps train church administrators in what needs to be done for an outreach and helps with cervical cancer screening and family planning. I am in the center, with overall responsibility for the meeting. Next to me is William, who works on Public Health and works with Village Health Coordinators at each site. Lastly is Jimmy, translator extraordinaire, who trains and works with our interpreters. We all work together to train people at each site and ensure the best preparation for when the team does the outreach. Then we have around 40 – 50 Ugandan volunteers helping at each of five clinic sites. Add in the administration of Masindi-Kitara Medical Centre and the OneWorld Health leadership and you can see lots of us are working together. Of course, not all my focus areas need such a large team; for example, for public health teachings or training church leaders, it could be just myself, or Jimmy and me. Quality control inspections of medical centers could be just me, etc. However, the more I am here the more I see the wisdom of working together.
Speaking of working together, let me introduce you to my Health Board, shown to the left. This is a Diocesan level board that advises me and includes our Diocesan Secretary (the “second in command” after our Bishop) and many of our elders, mostly priests. The lady at left without a white collar is my neighbor Rachael, who is a nurse and local politician. We just had a very good board meeting last week and these people are helpful advisors. We had one area where they “corrected” me. I had been tasked to make a T-shirt logo for our new program of Church Health Promoters. I made a design similar to a design often seen on ambulances and medical clinics, a caduceus or the Rod of Asclepius, with mine showing a snake on a cross. I was thinking of the story from Numbers, where Moses is told to have people be healed by looking up to a serpent symbol he made—an early example of the church being involved in healing. The reaction from my board was a bemused, amused “Can you imagine???!!!” Little did I know that a snake on a pole is a symbol used by witchdoctors here! I have been here more than seven years now, but I am still learning. It sure wouldn’t have gone well trying to recruit volunteers from our churches with that. They approved the design, minus the snake.
Above, I mentioned the new program of Church Health Promoters (CHPs). The first teaching unit for that is almost finished and the unit is on blood pressure. I will have trainings on BP and how to do public BP screenings, using automated BP cuffs,which I brought back from the U.S. Once people pass a test on the topic, they can go out and use the new battery-powered projector for a teaching presentation, translated to local languages, and do free screenings. I will start with a small group of CHPs, then expand to more churches and to other topics like nutrition, clean water, first aid, etc.
Another new development is that we have a new and church-owned Health Centre - St. James in Kigumba. I am pictured here with the staff and their board. They are in the process of getting government licensing. It is an extreme challenge to start a clinic like this with many pitfalls—a very difficult thing to accomplish on the very limited local resources available here. I will be working with them trying to ensure that the work done is the best quality we can achieve with what we have. The first issue is getting sinks and water for improved sanitation—they currently have only a jerry can and bar of soap for washing their hands.
One final story I want to mention in this newsletter has a thank you for all the U.S. people who have given things for the people here. I have the joy of playing “Santa Claus” (no, they don’t generally have the concept of Santa, but y’all know what I mean.) I get to share the eyeglasses, dresses, and other gifts with folks here at various times and places as seems best. I recently had a visit from Rick Kushon and his wife, who are U.S.-based missionaries mostly working in nearby Hoima. Their main ministry is church planting, but as a little side thing they gave out some dresses to neighborhood children near my house. When it came to the last dress, the girl who came last didn’t fit the dress they had; but,I was able to get out one of the pillowcase dresses that were given to me and it fit her. No disappointment that day and I will find a younger girl for their last dress. Ugandans usually pose very seriously for pictures, but you can see her smile sneaking through. I still have lots more dresses, hair ornaments and other goodies to give out. Wish you all could share in the fun of handing these things out.
I hope you have enjoyed a glimpse into some of the work I am doing here. There is always so much going on! As I finish writing this, I am in Kampala (the capital city) as tomorrow I have a meeting where all the Health Coordinators of the Province of the Church of Uganda, Anglican are getting together. These are my colleagues from all around the nation. Then by the weekend I will be back in Masindi heading out to Kitonozi for more preparation meeting for the December medical team. I think the theme of this newsletter has been, “We are better together.” I can’t leave you out of this. This ministry can only be and can only continue with help from people like you. May God bless all of you who are already supporting this work. If it has been awhile since you have helped, would you consider a special financial gift? You can also help by regular prayers and telling others about this work. Thank you.
Yours in Christ,
Janine
Janine M LeGrand
+256 774654350
US Address: Janine LeGrand, SAMS, PO Box 399, Ambridge PA 15003-0399
Uganda address Janine LeGrand, Diocese of Masindi-Kitara COU, PO Box 515, Masindi, Uganda, EAST AFRICA
(Please do not send checks, items of value, or items offensive to followers of Islam through the Ugandan mail.)