Getting there now

This time two months I'll be on an airplane, hopefully half way to what will be my country of residence for 4 weeks.

When I logged on to the blog I realised it has been a month since I posted, I didn't think it was that long, I suppose things have been quiet.

I finished my injections on May 2nd and talk about hassle getting an injection, I was nearly 3 hours getting the most essential vaccine, yellow fever. Long story, thank God I got it. I wasn't suppose to travel back to Carlow straight away but I felt fine so I headed back. I was conscious I might not continue feeling okay and if that happened while driving I would have pulled in. Thankfully I was fine. But later that evening it hit as I cleaned up sand outside. I felt I was going to  collapse so had to stop and go in to relax, I was grand then.  So I'm all protected now.

Haven't done much else in a preparation sense, was up to my eyes with essays. But now they are in I  need to get moving. My priority...... my visa...... that will take a little bit of time so the sooner the better. Then the online child protection, no matter how often I have done that I still have to do a child protection course for every organisation I get involved with that works with kids. I could give a course at this stage, ha.

This week was a signicicant step on my journey towards Uganda...... yesterday and today G101 were gathered together for 2 intense pre training day. Before going up I didn't know what to expect. Having completed it I am wondering why I have signed up/ what I've gotten myself in for. G101 consists of 6 volunteers, some volunteering for 2 weeks, others for 1 month and some for a few months. The first volunteer from G101 goes to his assignment at the start of June. G101 is the name VMM have given this batch of volunteers, the 101st group they have had. In almost 50 years that's a lot of groups.... We gathered yesterday morning in Dublin to begin training.
So how was training, well I'm shattered after it. It was great, lovely to meet other volunteers, I think the majority of us are 1st timers to volunteer abroad. Training wasn't just us sitting around been told how things work and what we needed to know for when we go, it was very interactive. Like any good group we started our training yesterday morning with an ice breaker. And then this morning we started with another fun exercise. So there was room for fun, even during some of the more serious times. I was delighted that we were not just sitting around the whole time. At times we had to put ourselves in the shoes of Africans, we had to create a culture in which we had to receive visitors, that was class. We were split into two groups. Our group greeted our visitors with joy, we were a silent culture, only spoke twice a day (a half hour in the morning and an hour in the evening). I was Tribe Mamma, totally class. That was until our visitors asked questions and because we were a silent culture I had to answer with no help from my tribe! I came up with all sorts, as you can see from the only talking twice a day for brief periods (I was thinking of monks when I came up with that one) but then they asked can the children of the community speak.... talk about putting a spanner in the works! With thinking on my feet kids can talk but adults can only talk back if they are addressed directly by the child. At 15 children become adults.  Note to everyone, leave me to come up with answers I could come up with anything, totally off the wall even 😀
And then today, well the group were great negotiators altogether, we were split again and we had to negotiate with each other. We got complimented on our negotiation skills, that we could do it so calmly, no bickering, no shouting. But we were reminded life doesnt generally go so smoothly 😔
Of course it wasn't all fun and games, there was the more serious stuff like looking after ourselves, our money  etc. While everything we did during training was serious, there was no room to have a bit of fun with this part. This part was the part that left me questioning if I am cut out for this placement! Something I will be addressing over the next few weeks. I suppose some things I heard might happen just got me nervous. Over all, I am looking forward to going to Uganda. I feel more prepared after training. I know if anything happens I have support, our ordinator is available 24/7. For me, while she won't be in the same place as me for the duration of my stay she will be on the same continant  (that's right folks, Africa is a continant not a country 😄) and I think this is extra reassurance for me. And of course our team leader will be with us in Nansana so if we need help with anything there is always that. I won't be the only irish volunteer in Nansana, I fly out with one other.

The one thing I was really shocked with..... even though I'll be taking malaria tablets before I go and while there I can still get malaria..... it won't kill me but I'll be unwell. The advice..... any symptoms of anything...... seek medical attention straight away, that way if it is malaria I can start treatment and avoid the full impact of it.

Really enjoyed the training and I hope to meet up with that group again, I won't be working with any of them. I am looking forward to the WhatsApp group starting and having that resource.

In other progress news,..... fundraising going well. Next event by me personally is a coffee afternoon in my house in Carlow on Saturday June 17th (a month to my departure date) from 2.30. All welcome, especially those in the area (I wouldn't expect people to travel but if you would like to come from a distance you too will be welcome). I will get my bucket of the SU next week so will see what they managed to raise for me. Also, I must make a phone call to check on one other fundraiser.

Time to sign off and go to bed.

Melissa