Give Thanks

If the only prayer you said in your life was “thank you,” that would suffice – Meister Eckhart

This was my first Thanksgiving away from home.

I was expecting it to be a difficult day, anticipating that most of the traditions that mark the holiday for me would be absent. There were different people around the table and different food on our plates, but I was surprised that it still felt like Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving is a completely American tradition and some parts of the holiday were difficult to explain to my Tanzanian coworkers (Pilgrims? Cranberry sauce? Balloons of cartoon characters on 5th avenue?).

The important parts, however, translate. There was good food, good people and a day to appreciate the generosity I’ve received. Silent thanks for teachers who have inspired; for family who have loved selflessly and siblings who have always been my toughest critics and most loyal companions; for friends who have walked with me and strangers who have made the journey a little easier; and this year, most of all, for the many people who have welcomed me into their country, their homes and their lives.

Another deeply American tradition is expressing our gratitude by sharing what we have with others; sharing a meal, sharing our stories, sharing our wealth. Americans have a long tradition of giving and, looking at charitable giving as a percentage of a country’s GDP, Americans give over twice as much as any other country. In 2006, Americans contributed $295.02 billion and nearly 76% of this money came from individuals. (You can read more here).

According to a July 2007 study by the Charities Review Council, Minnesotans are especially likely to support charities, with more than three-fourths of Minnesotans giving to non-profit organizations (other than religious groups and colleges and universities).

Consider supporting MIHV. Your generosity makes a difference in the communities we serve.

$50 for a brick will help establish and support on-going activities at Health Mother/Healthy Babies Centers throughout the project area.

$80 will purchase a bicycle for use by a Village Health Worker in the provision of community based health education and identification and follow-up on pregnant women and sick children under 5.

$10 will purchase a delivery kit for project trained traditional birth attendants to provide safe deliveries of women in emergency situations and isolated areas while protecting the traditional birth attendant and mother from blood-borne diseases.

$500 will provide training to 20 traditional birth attendants in safe delivery, antenatal care, post partum care and referral services.

$3,000 will provide training at ward and village level for community-integrated management of childhood illnesses.

$100 will support performances in two communities by the project’s trained cultural troupe disseminating life saving information on malaria, diarrheal disease, MNC, pneumonia and child spacing.

$250 will support one year of meetings for a village level Survive and Thrive Group providing health information and capacity building training to young, unmarried, pregnant women.


For more information and to support MIHV, visit us online.

African Time

Recently, I was having dinner in Nairobi with Father Joe and his friend Charles. We were discussing when we would leave the next morning.

Joe: Well we want to be there at ten, so we should leave at eight.
Charles: There’s no way it will take us two hours to get there!
Joe: But we need to leave time for the people we meet on the way.

Under a Mango Tree

This is Sister. Her Christian name is Mary, but Sister is the name used for older Ugandan women who have earned great respect in their communities. Sister’s whole life radiates a deep reverence for the dignity and wellbeing of the people in her community

Sister’s father wanted her to be a teacher, but she insisted she wanted to be a nurse. Nursing doesn’t feel like work, she explained. Along a shelf in her home rests a piece of painted wood with the words carefully carved, “Do your work not for mere pay, but from a real desire to serve.” (1 Peter 5:2). After working for seven years as a bedside nurse, Sister went back to school to be a nurse trainer, fulfilling both her and her father’s dream in combining teaching and nursing.

Twelve years ago Sister was hired by MIHV. Although she has worked in several positions, today she is the Deputy Country Director and the Family Planning Coordinator. She’s a busy woman; she’s the leader of her church’s Christian Women’s Fellowship and a human rights activist, having trained several years ago as a paralegal, she works in outreach programs to spread awareness to rural Ugandans about their rights.

Sister raised three children of her own. She lost her oldest son, Andrew, to sickle cell anemia at seventeen. Her youngest daughter, Annette, graduated from Makerere University last weekend. Her older daughter, Esther, will give birth to Sister’s first grandchild any day.

Sister is not wealthy. “Sincerely,” she said, “I’ve had to take out bank loans to get by.” Yet she would never turn away someone in need. Norman, 6, and Shakira, 14, are only the most recent children to take up residence in Sister’s house. Over the past several years, Sister has taken in and covered the school fees of a number of her brother’s children, orphans and even the daughter of one of MIHV’s Ssembabule guards.

Like many of MHIV’s staff, Sister has deep roots in the community and is nourished by her faith. With roots and faith, MIHV’s passionate staff are deeply committed to the health and wellbeing of others. No one would dispute that Uganda is materially a poor country, and yet I have never received richer hospitality. “We don’t have a lot,” said Sister, “but what we have, we share.”

“With committed staff you can set up a clinic under a mango tree.” –Helen Epstein

A box with no hinges, key or lid, yet golden treasure inside is hid

Yesterday, I wanted to take a photo of the Minnesota International Health Volunteers sign that sits at the beginning of the turn off to our Ssembabule office. As I walked down the muddy turn off, a woman was walking along the path with her goats. She did not speak any English, but seeing my camera, she began gesturing for me to cross the road with her and pointed to my camera and then to her three little boys standing in her yard across the street.


We cross the road and she eagerly lines the boys up. I motion for the boys to come towards me, into the sun light, and she hurries them along. I photograph her and her children and then thank them and leave.

Later, as I’m waiting at the office for the Family Planning Implementation Team meeting to start, I think about those little boys. I go to my room and take a handful of Starburst out of my duffel and I make my way back down the turn off and give the woman the little yellow, pink and orange candies. She smiles broadly and gives the sweets to her children.

Today, I am in my room working and Mabol, MIHV's cook, comes to my room. Mabol speaks a bit of English and I hear her say from the hallway, “Sarah”…”Madam for you.” There is a woman standing a few feet from the door, but I do not recognize her. I have met so many people in the last two days that I am confused. Is this a woman I met in the market? Was she at the meeting yesterday? I smile and nod to her and Mabol then explains, “She says you took her photograph.” Now I remember. The woman comes to the doorway and kneels down on the steps. She holds up three eggs to give me.

I ask if I can pay her for them. Mabol interprets and the woman shakes her head no. Really, I say, I would like to. I think about the children’s bare feet and dirty clothes.

“Gift” Mabol says. I nod.