Day 7: So Long to Brynn

Time sure flew this week. Brynn left first thing this morning for her flight home. We miss her already! It’s not easy being thrown into the deep end of a project you’ve never seen in action before, and be asked to swim immediately, but she jumped in and navigated each situation that was presented. She helped teach menstrual health classes, showed girls how to fold their pads, modeled the carrier and handed out hundreds of kits. This was Brynn’s first time visiting Uganda, so everything was new and different for her. She loved being here and was always up for each challenge. We are so grateful and look forward to her coming back and taking the wheel - well, not the literal wheel.  Ugandans drive on the left side of the road and the traffic is terrifying. Thanks to Phoebe we get from one place to another safely and are spared ever taking the literal wheel. Safe travels Brynn!

This day was slow and relaxing – we had time to read and got in a few card games. We gathered supplies for our trip to Kenya and packed our bags for the time there as well as for stops in Jinja and Palissa, where we have sewing cooperatives.  We will spend the night in Jinja tonight, but will spend more time there with Tabitha on our way back.

Lately, I’ve been thinking about all the people that make this project happen. It’s often the behind the scenes people who make all the difference. The person on my mind is Roe Vickery. Roe has been working with MCP for over 10 years. She is part of a sewing group that specializes in making MoonCatcher Kits. When she isn’t sewing, she has spent countless hours writing grants for us and is responsible for bringing in thousands of dollars to keep this train chugging along. I’ve tried to say thank you to her but the truth is there aren’t the right words for how grateful I am. She recently retired from this volunteer job. We miss her but we wish her a nice quiet, no-deadlines, happy future. Thank you Roe.

Tonight we are in Jinja at the Nile Hotel. I’ve stayed here on every visit to Uganda and know the manager, Innocent, who welcomes us with smiles and hugs. He even remembers the room I like, and I am in that same lovely room. Tomorrow we’ll sit under the mango tree and have our breakfast before leaving for Kenya.