Rwenzori Mountain climb series to begin- Its rough, rain and bload soaked, but worth it

Brace yourself... it was the journey of a lifetime. Requiring energy, skill, courage and hope!
Next week i begin to take you through the epic and audacious Rwenzori Mountain climbing series. Its rough, its rain and blood soaked- but its worth taking. I conquered the Rwenzori. For now, let me just share with you some of the pictures of this once in a life time adventure. Below we are at the gate ready to start off.

And then below, the foot of the mountain. Brace yourself for the difficult road ahead, just like Uganda's politics.

DR Congo-the Miracle country we can learn from

DR Congo-the Miracle country we can learn from

One of my favourite artists of all times is the late Madilu-the burly Congolese with a silky voice. When he was consumed in his art, Madilu drifted along taking you with him that you would hum along as if you are a band member of the mighty Madilu System. You need to listen to “Nzele”. Madilu truly epitomized what music is- “the bread of the soul!”

His native country the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) has many things coming with it. The DR Congo has one of the largest reserves of diamond, gold and other top minerals. Its River Congo also has hydro potential that if harnessed could supply the whole of Africa with power, large reserves of forest cover, the prized mountain gorillas. These factors could make DRC an economic power house globally.

But a confluence of armed conflict, geo-politics, tattered leadership and a post-independence tragedy that they have never recovered from have all conspired to deny this vast country the opportunity to realize its vast potential.

Congo today is strongly held together by Lingala- a rich African dialect that is widely spoken across the large country.

On Sunday, the DR Congo delivered Masterclass!

While Manchester United and Chelsea were flexing it out in the English league thousands of miles away, there was a high level soccer going on at the CHAN finals down here in Rwanda.

The DRC Leopards tore into Mali striking three clean goals without any inch of controversy. No penalties, no claim of referee bias- It was just superior Congo giving a demonstration of . The opening goal was a wonder, struck from almost the left corner flag, stretching the keeper but leaving almost six men watching it fly past them. You need to see it to believe it was a goal in the final.

Then there was a second, then a third

And then they crowned it with the “bum dancing.”

How beautiful it was to watch! And now they are the most successful country in the CHAN winning it twice while bacons of stability like Tanzania did not even qualify!

Lessons

DR Congo provides good lessons for us. They live in the most fragmented country, torn by war, with the East almost deriving its livelihood from the rest of EAC states like Uganda. They host the largest contingent of the UN peace keeping force anywhere in the world, yet war and pillage continue with almost no end in sight.

But when they have to show up and live beyond these everyday tragedies, the citizens have done just that- delivered using their greatest strength. Yesterday, they did not let their heads drop. Even when they faced the hosts in the quarter finals with a hostile home crowd. They won.

It was a real show piece, best done by the masters of African music.

We too can rise above this adversity as Africans, because all said, we have less difficulties to deal with than the state of Congo. Can we find our strengths, and be known by them even when they rest of the world wants to label us differently. What a great exhibition of DR Congo by their football team that smashed the image of war they are synonymous with

Nurses and Midwives- Unmarched dedication.

I spent most of yesterday at Ridar Hotel, Seeta (Mukono) in a  room full of midwives and nurses from mostly health training institutions across the country.

Agenda- How to improve professionalism and quality of the nurse and midwife through training and online adaption.
I joined this meeting on the last day. It had been taking place since Tuesday. For most of the day on Thursday, the nurses and midwives delved into the nursing profession, what can be done to make the new graduates better, how can they curb errant professionals and how to adapt new practices in training like online.

I attend many meetings locally and internationally, but i was completely humbled by the level ofcommittment.
Here was group of about 200 people who discussed nothing but how to improve their profession. No politiking, no shouting- just plain clear headed discussions. They even brought in a former young student nurse to narrate his experience as an intern from IUIU in Mbale as a way of enriching the discussions and finding solutioons through evidence based talk.

Then they concluded their meetigns with the nurse's anthem that goes along the lines of "we have been called by God to love and serve..." something to that effect. And truly, they are men and women of service. How truly humbling! They even acknowledge the negative perception people have about them- the por service, but they just trudge on continue with their service and how to improve.
Many times, the senior nurses caurtioned the young ones yesterday that no mother should die while giving birth!!

I sat next to one of the long serving trainers Prof. Jerome Kalyakanga from Mbarara University of Science and Technology. The Prof. shared some of the discouraging episodes in their profession like midwives having to feel the heartbeat of the infants with their bare hands yet there are affordbale machines to do this.

"Nobody cares really, sometimes you feel like giving up, but you draw courage from people like this," noted Prof.

Because they are some of the least paid people, the senior nurses encouraged the young ones to walk with their heads tall and continue with service.


If there is one thing i learnt yesterday. It was that in this country, there still exist a several good men and women ready to serve. Undedetered by any circumstance. I salute you nurses, midwives and the countless dedicated doctors!

I, leave you with the below!



"The Eagle does not fight the snake on the ground. It picks it up into the sky and changes the battle ground, and then it releases the snake into the sky. The snake has no stamina, no power and no balance in the air. It is useless, weak and vulnerable unlike on the ground where it is powerful wise and deadly. Take your fight into the spiritual realm by praying and when you are in the spiritual realm God takes over your battles. Don't fight the enemy in his comfort zone, change the battle grounds like the Eagle and let God take charge through your earnest prayer.