Vivian Glyck, founder of Just Like My Child arrived on October 1st, 2008 along with some of the foundations board members and donors to see how several major projects were moving forward at the Bishop Asili Hospital.
The moment Vivian reached the hospital in Luweero District, which is a several hour drive from the airport in Entebbe, she was getting a first hand experience of how significant Just Like My Child's efforts are impacting the community in the area. As we pulled into the gates of the hospital we found two women walking towards the vehicle. One of the women was holding her belly, walking strangely and had a strained look on her face. The woman with her explained that she had found this pregnant woman walking down the road. Apparently the woman had gone into labor several hours ago and walked a far distance carrying a suitcase with clothing so that she could deliver her child at Bishop Asili Clinic. Sister Ernestine immediately jumped out of the vehicle to assist the woman in labor. We were told in the morning that she delivered her baby just thirty minutes later. This scenerio is fairly common around here as of late. Just Like My child purchased an ultra sound machine for Bishop Asili last spring. Rumor has spread that the death rate of children born at Bishop Asili has reduced as a result of having the machine as well as having a doctor available. The population of pregnant mothers who insist on coming to here for delivery has shot through the roof. Bishop Asili is able to provide quality services to the community that no government hospital in the area can.
Sister Ernestine Akulu with the ultra sound machine purchased by Just Like My Child Foundation
Dr. Charles of Bishop Asili Hospital gives a pregnant mother with complications an ultra sound
Vivian Glyck with a woman who delivered healthy twins with the help of an ultra sound
One of the first major issues for discussion during Vivian's visit was the Just Like My Child School Building Project. Purchasing the land in Kiwanula to begin building the school had been an ordeal that had spanned over seven months (see school building updates previously blogged). Just Like My child Foundation has developed a remarkably clear methodology for building schools in Uganda. Based on that methodology we gave the community of Kiwanula a deadline of October 1st by which to complete the land deal (negotiations had begun in March, 2008). We were painstakingly clear that if the land was not ready, we would not proceed with the school project in that community. When Vivian arrived in Uganda on that date, the land deal was still not completed, so we made the decision to move forward with the school building project in an alternate community. Hopefully down the road when that community is more organized Just Like My Child Foundation will be able to review a possible partnership with Kiwanula. Since my arrival in July we had been sourcing out communities in the area that could be potential partners with Just Like My Child for school building projects. I had discovered a community that is very close to the Bishop Asili hospital that was in desperate need of a school. This community is called Habitat for Humanity Katikamu. Nearly 2,000 children will be impacted by a school if it's to be built in this community. The great news is that the land is ready, free and clear. The community is charged up, organized and ready to make bricks.
Katikamu community father and son fetching water
Ben Oliang shows Vivian Glyck the land that the community has procured for a much needed school building in their village.
Community Leader Ben Oliang, Tessa Davis and Vivian Glyck go over plans, budgets and blueprints for a possible school building project in Katikamu
Part of the discussion revolved around the possibility of using interlocking bricks for the construction of the school building. These bricks don't require as much cement in the building process and are better for the environment because they don't require any burning of firewood for drying.
Interlocking bricks that are made using a brick making press
Husband and Wife in Katikamu hard at work gathering firewood
These Katikamu children will be beneficiaries of the Just Like My Child school building project
This is Brian. He is three years old. He was born way up in the northern part of the country. Last spring he witnessed both of his parents being murdered by the Lord's Resistant Army, which is a group of extremist religious fanatic rebels that the government of Uganda has been battling with for some twenty years. He was discovered by neighbors sitting near his dead parents in a pool of their blood. He was brought to Katikamu because he has distant relatives that live in this area. 
The Katikamu community works together to take care of Brian. They are giving him as much love and care as possible in hopes that he will forget the haunting images of the tragic events that took his parents from him. Brian will benefit from the school that will be built by Just Like My Child Foundation in the Katikamu community. 
During Vivian's visit we spent some time at Bujagali Falls in the eastern part of the country. While there we met up with Annie a representative from Soft Power Health, which is an organization that has had a great deal of success doing work here in Uganda with Malaria prevention. Just Like My Child Foundation is eager to learn from partners on the ground such as Soft Power Health, particularly in the area of malaria prevention with the goal of adopting some to their best practices with the community surrounding Bishop Asili. Annie explained the organizations methodology in regards to mosquito net distribution and malaria prevention education. She explained that Soft Power Health has a small staff of four people. Two of the staff members go out a week or so before distribution to put up posters and advertise to those villages that they will be coming for a free education activity and that they will be charging only 3,000 Ugandan shillings per bed net (about $1.50), which is a great price given that you can't purchase a bed net in Uganda for less than 13,000 Ugandan shillings. One day of the week is dedicated towards visiting the scheduled communities and educating about malaria using some very creative posters that tell the story of how Malaria is contracted. They also talk about the benefits of a mosquito net and how to use one properly. They break down the costs of hospital fees when contracting Malaria verses the cost of buying a mosquito net. Soft Power Health then gives community members an option to purchase mosquito nets at an extremely low rate. The communities involved in the program are being educated for free and they are given the opportunity to place value on their own health. The money earned from the sale of nets goes towards the purchase of more nets that will later be sold at a lower rate. The organization returns to the community two months after the nets have been purchased and a household survey is conducted to learn whether or not the nets are being used. From what they can see so far close to 100% of the people who have purchased nets are using them correctly in their homes. Bishop Asili has been going about distribution of the mosquito nets donated by Just Like My Child Foundation in a similar way, but still a great deal was gained and best practices learned by the discussion with Soft Power Health.
Vivian Glyck, Annie and Sister Ernestine Akulu are going over Soft Power Health's Methodology in regards to Malaria prevention education.
Soft Power Health uses these posters written in both English and local language to educate villagers about how Malaria is contracted.
Soft Power Health also educates the community about the use and benefits of a mosquito net in the prevention of malaria. 
Just Like My Child stake holders visit The Source of the River Nile in eastern Uganda
We went into Kampala to have lunch with the Just Like My Child scholarship recipients in Kampala. They were happy to see all of us and share what's been going on at school.
Karen Taylor with Nalubombwe Josephine and Nyangoma Rachael
Richard Taylor with Namata Josephine and Nalubombwe Josephine
Vivian Glyck with Nyangoma Rachael
Laura Luxembourge and Richard and Karen Taylor were invited to visit the homes of some of the Just Like My Child Foundation mosquito net beneficiaries deep in the village.
Three out of the four homes they visited had the mosquito nets hanging properly
Villagers were generally pleased with the results of the mosquito nets and claimed that they had noticed a reduction in cases of malaria in the family
This baby sleeps soundly under a mosquito net. His mother will likely save thousands of shillings in hospital fees this year from the simple use of a mosquito net.
During Vivian's visit their was a terrible accident on the main highway that runs through Luweero town. A public taxi carrying close to 20 passengers was driving too fast and as a result became a mangled mess on the side of Gulu Highway.
The ambulance that was purchased by the Just Like My Child Foundation helped many victims from the car accident to reach Bishop Asili Hospital to get care for their injuries. 
Vivian Glyck and I choose and purchase paper bead necklaces that will be used for fund raising in the United States 
Vivian Glyck and I decided to go check out Wobulenzi Parents School (see previous blog entry), which is a primary school that Just Like My Child Foundation is considering sending the scholarship recipients to. 
The children at Wobulenzi Parent's School seem so incredibly happy, free, well nourished and eager to learn.
The events shown here were just a small sampling of what we were able to accomplish during Vivian's visit in October. All of the pictures that are shown in this blog entry were photographed by Laura Luxembourge.
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