The change begins with you

PART ONE: The Upheaval  Time check: 23:11 A new patient with a nasogastric tube, escorted by eight relatives is wheeled in. They seem to be in a state of shock similar to what I was in the previous day. Only difference is the tube that my patient did not have. This evening it was just us in the emergency ward. The reality of how strong I am hits me, eight against one! It’s just I and him. A ‘girl’ and her ‘daddy’.  I offer a word of comfort to the relatives of the new ‘companion’.  ‘’Everyone we found in here got better and left. It’s just us.’’ I console.  One of them smiles. The others are too shocked to smile. Their eyes are hooked on the semi-conscious patient. They all want to be in the room with the patient, but its crowded, and an emergency ward. The Doctor calmly reminds them about the ‘’1 patient, No Visitor rule’’, to which they reluctantly leave for the corridor. The beep of the Electronic vital sign monitor has become more of a melody to my ears. It remin...

  ''I can't tell where the journey will end, but I know where to start.'' In my search for a ''better place'', I headed out on a journey of self discovery, adventure, resilience, to find a way out for myself. I hoped that one day that I would make it out with my huge dreams, as I make a huge impact in the lives of those that matter the most. The dream I dreamt took me places, from Yumbe, Moyo, Lira, Bundibugyo, at times Kasese and Ntoroko, I took a road that many of my age feared. Scared at the beginning of the journey? Yes! But in the end I conquered the fears of the unknown, the fear of the places unknown, to the extent that I became passionate about everything I did. I do remember the first time I got into the region, it was chilling cold and I wondered if my dream of experiencing winter had come true. I had been warned earlier on to expect such a cold Fort environment but I was still in awe of the weather that I had to buy an extra jumper, pair o...

                                         Image by Shutterstock Gender Equality is a state in which women and men enjoy equal rights, opportunities and entitlements in civil and political life. It implies equal participation of women and men in decision making, equal ability to exercise their human rights, equal access to and control over resources,the benefits of development, and equal opportunities in employment and in all other aspects of their livelihoods (FAO, 2009) ‘’Humanity has the ability to make development sustainable to ensure that it meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of the future generations to meet their own needs,’’- (WCED,1988) Our Common Future, p.16.  Social, Economic and environmental sustainability, which are the pillars of sustainability, and interdependent on each other are impossible without the empowerment, support and contri...

Today, the topic of focus is on how to handle work related stress in order to remain productive and stay afloat the tight schedules. Stress is our body's normal automatic response to change in our lives. The change may be negative, positive, or imagined. When we feel unable to cope with a new demand, we begin to feel stress. Stress is highly individual; what may be very relaxing to one person may be stressful to another. Not all stress is bad. We need a certain amount of stress in our lives as it stimulates and energizes us. At low levels, it motivates us to face challenges and achieve, and it adds excitement to our lives. Without stress, we may feel bored or depressed. The two types of stress Eustress; The good/ positive type of stress. Distress; The bad/ negative type of stress. As we come to the end of the year, the most felt stress is the negative one as a result of working longer hours, having heavier workload to avoid carrying forward load into the new year and tight deadline...

  This morning I inquired from a colleague what support was needed for the specific day. The response was;  '' I am going to ask a question, but don't laugh. How can I access Agresso and Timesheets...?'' Before she could conclude the other part of the question I was already laughing at the seriousness of her question to access 'Agresso' I remembered the first day I joined the organization, and the misconception I had that someone was hired to run the printer just like at a commercial stationery shop, or internet café. How would the email be printed out with the name on the top? I realized everyone had to have hands on skills on how to print, scan and copy on 'that machine' that kept beeping all day long. My first hands on orientation was on how to operate the printer! (Feel free to share some funny first time memories in the comment section.) That funny memory reminded me of how being a new staff can be overwhelming at the start, and here to share a ...

For Iona .H, my dear friend turned sister. In celebration of all we share, and the positive energy that keeps us pushing for greater better things. To all the decisions we have painfully and happily taken to better our lives. To a sisterly connection across two continents... Cheers to that chord that never breaks! I once met a girl so innocently beautiful Her smile would touch the  Deepest soul But beyond the magic smile and laughter lay a loneliness unheard Beyond the smile... lay a past... Peeping from the void Only she knew the battles  That lay beyond that void. The scars hidden in her soul... A testimony of her triumph And when I met her, I smiled back... And our souls mingled In utter comprehension. She was me, and I was her And together we embarked on an unstoppable journey To take on our dreams To take on our lives Being ultimate encouragers from two different worlds... G ladys x It's a story of two creative souls bound together, soaring above the barriers through crea...

                                                                                                                                                            ''If you can't figure out your purpose, figure out your passion. For your passion will lead you right into your purpose'' Bishop T.D Jakes Two years ago, I had lost direction, lost hope, and could not figure out what my passion was. When asked what I really was passionate about, I had exactly no perfect response, all I knew was I loved teaching, but that I felt it was never my unique passion! I needed something unique, something creative, something ou...