The Uganda Project - April 2011

My dear friend Jenny is preparing to re-visit Uganda, a year after her last time, when she lived and worked at an orphanage. Her arrival back to Canada was extremely exciting for me because I got to hear, first hand, of all her experiences (both inspiring and some were very sad). I was not shocked at all to hear that Jenny came home but began supporting the children at the orphanage. I however, was shocked to hear that she was now providing schooling for all 30 of the children. Once I too returned form my studies overseas, I was very happy to hear that Jenny kept close contact with the orphanage director and to hear that the children were doing well.

"A vision without a plan is a dream, and a plan without a vision is marching in place." - unknown

Jenny has the vision to 1) meet the immediate needs of these 30 loving children at Home Sweet Home orphanage and 2) continue to work towards collaborating with local organization(s) in hopes to prevent child abandonment and orphanhood. Amongst a million-and-one things to get done before take off, we are trying to see if our close friends and family are able to help out with anything from:

- well-wishes (always the best)

- kind and wise words of wisdom

- donations of all kinds:

* money (100% of your donations will go towards funding for the childrens'
medical, schooling, and breakfast program)
* warm fleece sweaters (for children between the ages 2-14 yrs)
* story books
* stationary supplies (for crafts and school)

Jenny and I are also looking for those individuals with a professional background in working with children (health care, social work, education). We are looking to gather simple but useful and effective activities which we can implement with the children at the orphanage while assisting their developmental needs.


Jenny will be the best to contact and let her know that you have read Renata's message on her blog and would like to help.

martin.grad.2008@gmail.com

Thank you for taking the time and reading about Home Sweet Home.


Sincerely,
Jenny and Renata :-)

Home Sweet Home Newsletter 2010 - Uganda

This content comes from Jenny's Newsletter of Home Sweet Home Orphanage.

Please read through and if anyone is interested in sponsoring any of these children please email me at renata_em@yahoo.ca or post a message on this blog with your email and I will respond to your request.

On behalf of the children and Jennifer, THANK YOU for taking the time,

Renata :-)

Message from Jennifer Martin

It’s been a year since I launched a modest but determined initiative to support the thirty children residing at Home Sweet Home Orphanage in rural uganda. These children are thirty of the 2.3 million orphans in Uganda today. One million of whom have been orphaned due to AIDS.

Growing up in an institution is a poor substitute for a loving home. Often isolated from surviving family members and under the care of one “Auntie”, the children at Home Sweet Home Orphanage are greatly lacking in love and attention. The orphanage offers shelter and one daily meal but struggles to meet the children’s growing need for education, medical treatment and psychosocial care.

While the challenges these children face are tremendous, with access to education, proper care
and encouragement these children can thrive. With the services of Just Care in Uganda and your support we can ensure that they do. Because of your generosity all the school-aged children are now attending a local primary school where, in addition their classes, the students are receiving two daily meals. Furthermore, the children are now accessing medical care as needed thanks to your donations.

This is our first newsletter and it is an opportunity to share in detail our accomplishments of our first year as well as share our ambitions for the upcoming year. On behalf of the children and myself thank you for your support.


BACK TO SCHOOL
Currently we have seventeen children enrolled at Tower Primary School. In addition to their tuition the children receive a uniform, school supplies and two daily meals. With seven new children at
the orphanage and the little ones reaching school age we will be sending twenty-five children to school in the new year!



WATER
The orphanage director is constructing a well on site to bring potable water to the orphanage.
Clean water will greatly improve the children’s health and mean a lot less time spent fetching water!



HAPPY FEET
Two of our supporters funded the repairs needed in the children’s dormitory. Some of the bedding
was replaced and a concrete floor poured. With the dust gone the children are experiencing fewer parasitic foot infections are taking much more pride in keeping the dormitory clean!



WELLSPRING CHILDREN’S MEDICAL CENTRE
To date 73 visits have been made to the medical clinic where the children have received treatment for malaria, waterborne illnesses and communicable infections. In the new year the children will begin receiving medical care at Wellspring Children’s Medical Centre. The clinic provides excellent medical care and has an ambulance service with a well reputed hospital. The clinic shares the same site as the children’s school, which means the children and staff can access medical care just two kilometers from the orphanage!



AMBITIONS
In the spring I will be returning to Uganda. The return trip will allow me to implement new programs to better care for the children’s physical and developmental needs. My goal is to improve the children’s nutritional and health status, to better meet their psychosocial needs and to develop a care plan for the HIV+ children. My hope is to help the children of Home Sweet Home Orphanage access the following: a nutritious breakfast; the care of a social worker; and monitoring and treatment for those who are HIV+.


Breakfast Program
Outside of the meals provided at school, the children receive one
daily meal at the orphanage. In the spring we will introduce a
breakfast program of Corn Soy Blend; a nutrient rich porridge.
The added nutrition will allow the children to recover from
malnutrition and will minimize visits to the clinic.



Grief Counseling
These children have faced tremendous obstacles in their lives. Many watched their parents
succumb to AIDS and later were abandoned by extended family. Hiring a social worker to provide
programming and counseling will help the children work through issues of grief and loss and to
build healthy coping strategies.



HIV Positive
The HIV+ children living at the orphanage require extra care to
minimize infections, to access proper treatment and to meet their
unique dietary needs. With the guidance of specialists in the field of
pediatric HIV/AIDS we are developing a treatment regimen to
ensure these children remain healthy and enjoy quality of life.



To Donate:
This initiative is solely funded by donations. All donations go directly to the children and are greatly appreciated. All administrative costs and travel expenses are self-funded. Cheques can be made payable to Jennifer Martin in trust. Note: As we do not have charitable status we unfortunately cannot issue tax receipts.



Contact:
Jennifer Martin

e-mail: martin.grad.2008@gmail.com

Nagyi's version

Agnes Eva Szilagyi, to you might look little and frail but boy! this woman is the definition of courage, strength and a mother to my uncle George and my mom, Eva Julianna Mares (Szilagyi). She is my granny (Nagyi), she is my second mother, she is my role model and a lady with infinite wisdom. So, you might be wondering how this grandmother of 4 and mother of 2, and wife of one extremely abusive man (my grandfather) is any different from all other grandmothers? To you, she's probably not. However, to me she means the world!

Since I was born, Romania was in turmoil as the country was under a communist dictatorship. Basic needs such as electricity, food and water were not available however, women were encouraged to reproduce with zero family planning methods being available (including basic needs for feeding these children). This is a typical communist government scenario however, it is also an era when I was born. No longer kindergartens and schools were a positive place for children to attend so my parents decide to have Nagyi look after me while everyone else were off at work. Here I picked up my mother tongue as being Hungarian. Romanian was not my granny's strong point so this is where I went stray from my native land. Born Romanian, with a mother tongue in Hungarian from birth. Everyone around me spoke Romanian, however I grew to understand it but unable to reply as well.


Because of the scarce resources, a devoted young couple (these being my parents who at this time had 2 very young children) decided to hit the road when things were not getting any better in the country. Refugees in Hungary, mom and dad left everything behind in search for a better world. However, not knowing at this time how long our leader will be ruling. Exactly a year after we left Romania, Ceausescu was shot and voila the Romanian boarders reopened and refugees were allowed to come home again without the possibilities of getting arrested and thrown in jail (which would have been our fate at the time of escape).

The boys continued the search for a better place even farther, in the USA. While they were playing 'Columbus', mom and I were holding down the fort in Hungary. The only time we ever went back to Romania was to meet and greet our relatives, and Nagyi. She stayed behind as a dedicated retired senior in her native land. Later she also became my second mother and my second home. Not sure if I was a difficult child to raise by a single parent but mommzy decided to let me stay in Romania each summer while growing up. Since I know myself, as a Hungarian speaking child, I enjoyed brushing up on my broken Romanian each summer for 2-3 months. Once it was back to school, and back to forgetting the language. Nagyi wasn't the best teacher for both languages but she was definitely the best in everything else.

A friend of mine had the chance to meet Nagyi personally and stay with us. My friend's experience living there for a few weeks was: "I feel like I'm living in an attic of a restaurant. This lady is the best cook, ever!" And she is very correct. A one bedroom apartment with a kitchen separated from the living room only by a curtain may as well be defined as an attic (but cleaner and tidier of course). Her cooking is fanominal, and my mom definitely has those same genes which I unfortunately did not receive. (but you might think, so what, I think my mother is the best cook, and again you are probably correct as we all appreciate home cooking over others). Keep reading :-)

Nagyi was a wonderful cook but she was a wonderful human being who has everything to do with my accomplishments till this day. A little bit about Nagyi: youngest child of 4, married at the latest possible time (in those days) at the age of 25 to a man who has become her worst night mare (which happened most times if not in those days). My grandfather wasn't a good man, not even a decent man. I'm sure he suffered his own childhood traumas, but he for sure tried to tame a woman such as Nagyi. The only issue, this woman was untameable and would soon find out that she would do everything for her 2 children. After 15 years of abuse, my grandmother left the man who she stayed loyal to (even till this day).

This is where it all began. Stories. Nagyi had a bag full of crafts and activities to keep me entertained for 3 months at a time, which is why I wanted to stay with her each summer. Hanging out with my friends would also be on the top of the list for activities to do, but hanging out with granny was the best. Shopping, cooking, sewing, just about anything else you can think of would keep me entertained for hours. We would be sitting in her living room, Nagyi in her chair and me on the couch. TV turned on, and we would both be doing something crafty. These craft sessions also became story sessions. (Such a routine, that even when I went back 2004, 2006, 2009, I would be sprawled out on her living room couch, asking her to tell me stories, with or without crafts in hand).

So there we are, a woman with experience, and a little girl learning to sew. She told me about stories when she was my age, at each of my own milestone. I only realized this now, that I have a complete picture of granny's life. And still there is so much more to hear.

I'm hoping that by dedicating this page to Nagyi, I can go on and explore, reveal those stories which have brought me so much joy. Nagyi told me those stories in order to protect me by not making those same mistakes she did at her age. I'm sure that there are other amazing parents and grandparents out there who do the same: sharing their wisdom. Nagyi learned hers via watching her parents, sisters, but also her own experience and her strength to live and tell her tale. She was alone when my parents moved countries 2-3 times yet she still stayed strong. Not many women can be alone and be as wise, as knowledgeable, as balanced as Nagyi. She's from a very different generation then myself, yet even today not many woman can live life happily under the circumstances she has been dealt.

Nagyi has made the most of every situation she was in. She knows more then any other pharmacist or medical professional because she absorbs information, does her research, and never stops learning. She is a woman I admire and that is why I think she is the best there is.

Thank you for being an inspiration and hope to amaze you one day :-)

xo

The Uganda Project 2011

Just the other day I had the opportunity to catch up via phone with a nursing friend from undergrad. Near or far we have managed to keep in contact and stay good friends because of one very special vision which we share: to help those less fortunate.

During our chat she explained that the 25 children she has been supporting since 2009 are still under her care and she is planning to visit them early April. "Would you like to come?" she asks. I don't even think she had the opportunity to ask because I jumped in and told her that I want to be part of her grass-roots organization in any way possible.

Jenny's story:

Just as I was working away in public health, my friend Jenny was packing her bag and going to Rwanda and Uganda to work in orphanages. She planned to go for 6 months but her trip ended just after 5 months of being there. I think the hardship and what she has seen (as she told me) has finally took effect on her and she thought it was time to come home. But when we met post-travels she was eager to tell me what she has done.

25 children in an orphanage now was under her funding and care. "Jenny, how is this possible?" I asked confused. She tells me that the man who was watching over the children lived in a lavish home with TV and cabel and food for an entire community. However, the children who were supposed to be getting all that funding were eating maybe once a day, if that! So Jenny thought it would make more sense for her to come home ....work....and send the money for the kids to attend school, eat, and receive any of the health checks they need.

My skeptical self right away doubted that Jenny's good deed is arriving to these children however, now a year has gone and she was telling me that it is time to visit her children and get registered as one of the grass roots organizations. Her funding has been managed by trusted locals there and she now is ready to get the ball rolling.

So just on the phone I said: "Jenny, I want to come with you!"

And there you have it. My masters has prepared me for developing, implementing and evaluating grass-roots organizations just like the one my kind Jenny is trying to develop. We are going to get as much paper work done before April as possible and if everything work out for us we should be in Uganda by April 2011.

I am going to leave this as the introduction to the Uganda project and with time I hope to have a more detailed description for you available .... with 25 hopeful little stories !

Much love to all those who have support me in my blog so far!

xo
Renata :-)

R.I.P SunnyOctober - December 13st, 2010

In Loving Memory of
Tara Lise Kennedy
October 21, 1983 - December 31, 2010



Though her smile is gone forever
And her hand we cannot touch,
Still we have to many memories,
Of the Tara we loved so much.

Her memory is our keepsake,
With which we'll never part;
God has her in His keeping,
We have her in our heart.

-from the visitation pamphlet


God Bless the World

Mighty God, Father of all,
Compassionate God, Mother of all,
less every person I have met,
Every face I have seen,
Every voice I have heard,
Especially those most dear;

Bless every city, town, and street that I have known,
Bless every sight I have seen,
Every object I have touched.

In some mysterious way these have all fashioned my life.
All that I am, I have received.

Great God, bless the world.

-John J. Morris SJ






The Story of Tara and I

Thanks to the Guelph Recreation and Parks, both Tara and I were happy little lifeguards working for the city as teenagers. I met Tara through some of my friends and we hit it off just fine. We attended many fun gatherings, parties, and festivities. Tara was literally the sunshine everywhere we went.

It still makes me smile to think back to all the funny things we got up to both at the pool and on our spare time. I remember Tara being the planner and always places to be and peoples to see. I was quite sad to see her move away from Guelph when she started university. I thought I would never see her again.

Then a year went by and I too was moving away from Guelph and started university at Western. As the school was a privately owned property, the city snow plows would not even step 2 inches near the campus walking paths. This created awful walking conditions for over 50 000 student bodies. Try walking in 5 meters of snow each and every day. DREADFUL! Until one day I hear: RENATA! I look out from my parka, just for a peak and sure enough it was SunnyOctober herself standing in front of me, smiles ear to ear!

From that day on, I was happy to be walking through campus because I knew somewhere in the crowds Tara was waiting for me as I was scrambling to my next class and ready to pounce on just for a HELLO! We always made sure to catch up as we walk by each other, and in London too we made it our mission to repeat some of our fun festivities similar to our Guelph-outings.

Once our paths separated yet again I truly didn't think I would see Tara, but I had this feeling that somewhere, anywhere on this earth, she would jump out and give me one big hug like before. Well, I was right about meeting her but very saddened to meet her in these circumstances. Her mothers standing tall and strong in the visitation hall, and saying thank yous and goodbyes from all of those who Tara has touched so deep. I too was standing in that line. And I don't know if I should feel bad about not looking sad that day....but I smiled in the line the whole way through. Myself and 2 friends were talking about all the fun things we used to do together with Tara and while waiting in that line we also took a long trip down memory lane.

Until we left the hall. My friend Jess invited us over for tea. We kept talking about the good old times and then she said this to me: "So when do you think this will become true? When we will it become real? That's she's gone?"

...and that's when it hit me. I drove home, and cried. Gosh Tara, you always surprised me but I never imagined this would come next.

I think I'm ready now to say goodbye. Thank you for being the sunshine amongst my memories. Even at such difficult times, thinking of you still puts a smile on my face. It's been a pleasure to have met you and thank you for being part of my memories. I will never forget you.


My dear SunnyOctober,

You rest in peace up above and bless the heavens with your presence the same way you have made the earth oh so beautiful while you were with us.

We will never forget you.




















































Love,

Jessica, Melissa, Tiffany, Karissa, Sarah, Renata :-)

Surprise of the year 2010 - Guelph

As I'm getting ready for graduation, I am scrambling to figure out where my next destination should be. I could stay in Australia and work ... just to buy some time till I can get my nursing registration transferred. I also would LOVE to live and play in Thailand, but who will I pay for my way. Christmas is just around the corner and what a way to celebrate especially when I surprise my parents.

As my funds were nearly all used up, and missing my parents warm and cozy home, I decided to come home before hoping to get my next adventures planned out. I promised my parents that I will always come home no matter the distance and this was the right time.

Ticket in hand (many good-bye's and see you later's), I made a detour on my way home to San Francisco, a place I have always dreamed of back in my high school hippy days, and ended up at my precious friend's door steps. She housed me for a few days (make it almost a week) until it was time for me to move on over to my brother's place. Everyone was extremely amazing at keeping a secret from my parents. Marcus had it the worst as mom would be complaining to him about how "Renata has it so though, and she might be alone for X-mas!"

Well, only 24h of my arrival to Guelph, we had a dinner planned so mom and dad would come over to my Bro's and they would find me there :-)

Sure enough, it's dinner time, I have finished with everything I planned on making for the surprise dinner party. Mom and Dad barge into the house since they are not used to the door bell, and I hide our quick as no one expected the abrupt visit entrance.

As Marcus is making small talk, he's explaining to dad that he found someone to help with the wine corking. We sometimes make our own wine and they sometimes turn out pretty good ! So back to the story, Dad replies to Marcus: "forget it, I don't need help!" Huh ? Now what?

My entrance signal was supposed to be the friend Marcus found to help with the bottling process however, now it's unneeded. Marcus says to dad: Too bad ! I still have a friend here, ....

And when I appear, it is silent. For one very short second. Then both mom and dad jump into my arms and hug me ....and we are loudly greeting each other. Mom is telling Marcus that he was sneaky and shame on him, then right away she's feeling sorry for him for having to listen to her crying about me. Typical Mares greetings. Everyone is happy, the food is ready and we head into the dinner to discuss how I managed to be so sneaky.

We consumed my 46 Hawken Dr roommie's fave dish: red curry and hand rolled rice paper rolls (Thanks Thao! Everyone loved it!)

R :-)


Special THANKS to everyone who has helped with my secret arrival !
xo

San Francisco, California - December 2010

Global Deejays - The sound of San Francisco

If you're going to San Fran-cisco
Be sure to wear some flowers in your Hair

If your goin' to San Fran-cisco
You're ganna meet some gentle people there

A more gentle version :-)

This song seemed to be stuck in my head for all 5 days while in San Francisco and Bay area. Life goal #...when I graduated nursing, it was #1 on my list of places to live. The order in which I ended up here has changed gradually as I realized that surf and sand are my true calling (location: Tropical). In my earlier thoughts, I wanted to visit this place for the artistic culture, radical and revolutionary history, and my love for vintage clothing; who wouldn't want to live in San Fran and re-live the 1970s? Clearly, I am (and always will be) a flower child born in the wrong generation. Over time, I have learned to maintained a close connection with the mainstream life-style (I take my career seriously and keep my personal lifestyle separate) however, backpacking has given me the escape I need to experience life with my hair down.


Between completing my masters and moving back to Canada (secretly hoping that fate will just offer me a job in my field of interest on a silver platter) I decided to take the longer way home (still keeping to the same direction) and stop over in my long-desired city of San Francisco. By this time I have walked and discovered many other wonderful places down under and felt a bit less motivated then usual for this backpacking adventure. However, it wasn't the miles and distances covered on foot which have tired me out but the constant meeting of wonderful people and having to say good-bye each and every time. I think for someone who enjoys traveling this much should finally learn not to get so attached to friendships. The heart can take only so much emotional trauma till it will speak up and demand attention and rest.


By no means I was ready to take a rest in San Francisco, but I may have left my heart there after all. Or is this just a line I stole form Tony Bennett. I remember anticipating my home coming before, during and after arriving in Canada as it was a secret for mom and dad. My sister-in-law, my brother, and a few friends helped me out in keeping my arrival on the DL. I think the planning and organizing maybe have distracted me from completely embracing myself in SF however, here are some of the major attractions which I had the pleasure of experiencing.

1) Golden Gate Bridge
Fun Facts which I was told on the bus ride:
- fog is expected 360 days; guess this was one of them
- suggested travel season: Late summer/fall (Sept/Oct)
- most photographed monument in the world (really? my interest isn't individual... lol)















































2) Sausalito
Some of the most fascinating architectural beauty, all created on a mountain side. Who wouldn't want to have a sweet condo here and/or planning a retirement. However, the bus driver was just as envious as most of us tourist and told us: "Keep dreaming!" There is a greater chance for one to discover the ultimate happiness in your daily routine than physically be able to save up for a possible offer in this neighborhood. Make sense. But by this time I was only focusing on the opportunity for this challenge. Note to self: condo #39 on the top of the hill with private out-door escalator, will be mine !















































Anticipating my new hobby once I take up camp in Sausalito: Sailing! or photography, it's a toss up for now :-)















3) Fisherman's Warf
Only 2 words: Clam Chowdeeeeeeeeeeeeer ! Probably the best 5$ I have spent on a bread bowl with 1.5 cup of soup (if that). I was cold from the bus ride and therefore all I wanted was something hot and comforting. Two clam chowders in two consecutive days, that's how awesome it was. Then I was thinking to myself, could Tim Horton's start making this fabulousness for those who would want to enjoy this on a regular basis. At this time, my nursing instincts jumped out from a box up in the attic and suggested that I should stick to healthier choices lol. Minus the chill this day, walking around the Piers was a wonderful and enjoyable activity (oh yeah, no sea lions in sight...they were uninterested in the fog I'm assuming).














































































4) Pier 33 - Alcatraz

World famous monument, referred to in every-day conversation when describing an ultimate punishment or how I do: "my facebook safety features resembles Alcatraz". (Hehehe, I think this one is for my won entertainment). However, escaping and breaking out of Alcatraz might be easier then finding me on FB now-a-days thanks to Mark's awesome safety features :-) Thanks Mary Mark !!!!

Ok, back to Alcatraz. Learning that this massive waste of government funding - started out with 3000 available spaces and only a few hundred people ever actually occupying the cells - comforts me in knowing that just like most (in my opinion) man-made-wonder is a decoration rather than something functional which can be utilized by the larger portion of the population. Fine, I admit, the guys who had the opportunity to take up residence in this place, did not live in a palace, or did they ? I mean, isolated location, becoming best friends with the security guards (as most of the guards lived with their families on the island), and knowing that life sentence never meant death sentence (unless your inmate-buddies did not find you very popular) since the electric chair did not exist on this horrible establishment - or so it was made for us to believe.

Any punishment facility without a possibility to carry out a death sentence doesn't sound that horrible to me. However, I would still not be the first in line to give it a trial. Hence why I consider myself an honest and law-obeying citizen. I did have the chance, while taking the tour, to step into the cells but opted not to. Standing in front of the open doors gave me an eerie feeling. Being surrounded by other tourists did not give me the confidence nor curiosity to experience (as I imagined) claustrophobic-feeling of being surrounded by 3 close walls and a gated door. Maybe I empathize too well and just scared myself with my own thoughts: but standing there I had a feeling and vision which was an experience felt real and enough for my appetite.





















































































5) Steepest hill in the San Francisco Bay area (Lombard @ Hyde St)

We were told this isn't the true story however, most tourist get this explanation. I however, tuned out to hear which street is the steepest. I'm sure wiki can fill in my story on this one.









































6) Union Square Park

I took shelter near the USP in a hostel called International Hostel. There I met my roommate who was in town for a conference. She was a PhD candidate in marine biology. Do to her long hours though we did not get to chat much while I was there. Our final day we had a nice long chat and she admired my finds at the local GoodWill. Further to come on this story when I introduce Haight Street.
























































7) Ghirardelli Chocolate and Ferrari (O'Farrell/Stickton)




































8) Government office
UN plaza; Supreme Court; Asian Art Museum



































9) Golden Gate Park
Japanese Garden; National AIDS Memorial Grove; California Academy of Science
















































































10) Haight St

1855 Haight St - Amoeba Music - As if I took a step into Empire Records movie set. Largest record, CD, DVD, cassette or any other form of music store I have ever been to. I made one purchase only and it was in the spirit of the holidays: Charlie Brown Christmas classics. Happy Holidays while on the road (and boy was it wonderful on my flight home).



1700 Haight St - GoodWill (Cole St/Haight St)
Here I had the chance to purchase a few wardrobe essentials: 4 sweaters, 4 pairs of shoes/boots for me and a few others suited for the winter season. Getting back to the hostel, I finally had the chance to chat to my roommate for the first time. I had to brag about my new purchases (well, new-for-me) and she was super stunned. She decided on the spot to skip her conference the next day and head out on a shopping spree.


11) Painted Ladies (Hayes/Steiner)

Here are the left-over architectural dessert for you, through my eyes.