Message from Caitlin: “The borehole for the new well at the orphanage reached a dept of 65 ft then collapsed. It took the strength of 7 men but thankfully we were able to pull the drill and 60 feet of extenders out of the collapsed borehole. We decided to refocus our efforts to the old … More Collapsed Borehole and a Sick Day
Message from Cait: “We might have set a Hydromissions record – 33′ in one day! It is at least a record for me & for Cyrus. We have far to go but at least we’re off to a great start!” Update: “David (American Trainee) left yesterday to head back to the states. Washington (Ugandan Trainee) … More Progress…or lack thereof
Message from Cait: Current project is at an orphanage. There is a 50′ borehole with a hand pump but it only produces 120 liters of water per day – not nearly enough for 100 kids! It is so sad to watch those kids work so hard at pumping just to get a trickle of water. … More Drilling for the kids…
Message from Cait: Finally got to Iganga yesterday. We squeezed into a mini van packed with 20 people for a 1 hour ride to Mbale then caught the big bus for the 2 hour ride to Iganga. We had one bathroom break on the way. Here in Uganda that means the bus pulls over and … More What is a Ugandan bathroom break?
Message from Cait: “We’ll finish the latrines by the end of today (thankfully!) & spend tomorrow getting to our next project village. I attempted to plow earlier but the oxen won!” Update: “The sun has set and we’re still working at the latrine site. We are sharing one small flashlight between the 5 men finishing … More Latrines and plowing
Hey! It’s Melissa again. Got a bunch of updates from Cait and of course, there is never a dull moment with her! So, how many cows IS Cait worth? While that is the title of this blog, the question has never been answered. After a quick phone call I had with Cait this morning, I … More Caitlin is being traded for cows….again
My Visa finally came back after a couple weeks of waiting and a few anxious calls to the embassy. There wasn’t anything wrong with my application, just a misplaced return envelope – yay! Some of the trip details are coming together nicely, others I won’t known if they will fall in line until I actually … More I got my Visa!
I picked up some new supplies for Uganda. I still have two months before leaving but I like to prepare early (especially since I know life will get hectic as my departure date nears). I am planning on using Citronella for body and hair wash, Deet for my skin and Permethrin for my mosquito net and outer garments. All … More New Toys
There is a framed poem hanging up in the small chapel on Providence Farm. “There are places in West Africa where the only water you will see is tears – bitter tears that mothers weep, and the tears water the ground where their children sleep” I think it hangs there to break our hearts so … More Without vision, people perish.
My next project with Hydromssions will be in Uganda. I do not have all of the logistics sorted out yet but it will be about 5 weeks starting around June 18th. Between now and then I will be taking another course at Equip in March and a pumps class with a new training organization in … More My Next Project is…
How Many Cows 