Small World

Just before leaving Connecticut, I was lucky enough to meet with Dr. Kevin Dieckhaus at the UConn Medical Center.  He is an infectious disease and tropical medicine expert, who runs a clinic in Kisoro, in South West Uganda.  Dr. Dieckhaus generously let us borrow two Uganda mobile phones, which have been invaluable, and he put us in contact with Pius Bigirimana, a government official who has ben a benefactor to the clinic and to Kisoro, his home town.
   We finally met with Pius yesterday--as a permanent secretary, he's very busy.  He was genuinely disappointed that we did not have a chance to go to Kisoro--he stressed the natural beauty of the place, nestled in the mountains on the borders of Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo.  It is the home of Mountain Gorillas, and near the Rwenzori--the snow capped mountains of Uganda.
  We also met with Jeremy Phillips, who runs an organization called Empower Africa.  He provides scholarships for Ugandan students to study at elite schools in the country and universities in the US.  His students also learn traditional Ugandan music and dance, and put on a traveling show called "Spirit of Uganda.
  Earlier the same day, we went to the Good Shepherd home, where a monastic order cares for the abandoned and orphaned with the sort of love and vigor that would inspire even the most cynical person.
   So here's the small world factor:  At the orphanage, one of the only volunteers we met was from New York. Spirit of Uganda had three dates in Connecticut last year, and we may be able to bring them to Hartford this Spring.  Pius, in addition to being connected to Dr. Dieckhaus in Farmington, has a sister who lives about a mile from Watkinson. He visits annually, and has promised to visit our school next time he is in town.  He told us how he dislikes New England winters, and was disappointed with teh quality of pineapples he bought at the Stop and Shop in Hartford,--they just don't compare to the very sweet Ugandan ones.
   Huh.  Small world.