Great, next topic. Today I was grilled for about 1/2 an hour by the Ministry of Health, loop number three. I think I did pretty well, but the best part is that his assistants were super friendly and eager to help. They were so excited to see someone doing this research. Everybody seems to be aware of the dump in Mpererwe, but not a lot of studies have been done on it's effect on anything but the environment. Nobody knows if this translates into problems for the children.
I was reflecting on the study, and I think the best part is our 2nd visit to the schools, when we give a health education day. That is the most important thing we can do. Hopefully, the information will spread and fewer people will have a problem with lead.
Anu, Dr. Natasha Anandaraja from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine Global Health office came last night to Uganda! Very exciting that MSSM is so devoted to our project. She seems to think that we have a real handle on the project and with the situation... little does she know... Anyway, she is staying at Betty's house, right down the block. Betty went to Oxford and got a degree in Horticulture, she now owns 2 garden supply businesses and has the most beautiful garden I have ever seen. She grows all of her own food, too! I wish I could do the same.
I was thinking a bit about the "recycling" system they have here in Uganda. If you want to drink a bottle of coke (no cans here), you have to drink it at the stand and return the bottle or pay for the bottle as well as for the coke. Also, if you want to buy a 1L bottle of coke, you have to bring a bottle in it's place. Maybe we have too much money in America and things are just too disposable. Glass is non-porous, why not just rinse it out with some soapy water and reuse it right then and there? I think this might go back to my rant on progress. If Uganda succeeds in becoming a wealthy nation, will they stop this "recycling system?" Will they start disposing over everything like we do? Also, is it worth not succeeding to maintain the status quo? Will somebody do a literature review? I don't have a lot of time.
Bug story: So I've seen jumping spiders, huge cockaroaches, a scorpion, and a bunch of ants... Last night, however, I saw the worst bug; the bug you can't manage to catch and is now somewhere in your room. NOT COOL. I was baking the laffa (yes I bake it on my own), this week its so much better. Softer and it rose more too.
Lastly, I think this is the first week without my friends the Weinbachs in Hillside. Hillside misses you!
OK it's 4:10PM and Shabbat is coming fast. Have a wonderful weekend.
Cool pic of the malaria lifecycle in mosaic (from Makerere Uni)
1 comment:
They re-use glass bottles similarly in India. I think the bottles are actually taken back to the plant to be sterilized, then re-used. Make sure you watch the vendor open the bottle, because some sketchy vendors try to refill bottles themselves (which might have unsafe water and a bad taste!).
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