BEEP, BEEP, BEEP! Het is vrijdagochtend, 4.30 u. Ik tuur in het donker m'n vertrouwde slaapkamer rond. Toen we gisteren vanaf Rwanda naar Kisiizi reisden, ontstond het idee om vandaag een vroege ochtend hike te maken. Het is m'n 24e verjaardag vandaag en tevens de...

Met kleine snelle pasjes sprint de man naar het autoraampje, grist de smartphone uit de handen van de bestuurder, springt achterop de boda-boda en sjeest weg. Welcome to Kampala! Afgelopen week heb ik m'n laatste werkweek gehad in het Kisiizi Hospital. De tijd is...

Ik loop snel even naar huis (5 minuten vanaf het ziekenhuis) om m'n oplader te halen, als er een grote stofwolk opwaait door de auto die voorbij komt rijden. De bestuurder stopt een paar honderd meter verderop, laat een 16 jarige, zwangere meid uitstappen en rijdt...

What shall I cook today? The choice is not necessarily difficult, because the options are very limited. Rice, beans or matoke (mashed banana) with g-nut sauce (mashed peanuts) or a tomato sauce. Besides tomato, acovado and green pepper, there are almost no vegetables...

80, 100, 120, 140 boxes. 140 x 20 = 2800 amoxicillin pills in stock. Oh, but the stock card says 2100 and the digital system 2500. Count again, yes really 2800. Okay, that goes on the (growing) problem pile. 'Yes, we had placed a large order,...

"Look elephants!" A large herd is enjoying the green landscape along the highway. Although we are on our way to Queen Elisabeth's National Park (2000 km² without fences or anything), it is still special to see all kinds of animals along the public road..

"Hello?!" Curious, I pick up my phone. I would normally ignore an unknown international number, but because I have to be isolated for a week, I gladly take the opportunity to have a conversation. "Daphne?? Are you there???" An enthusiastic voice that...

TOOT TOOOOTT! Hundreds of boda-bodas (two-stroke mopeds), matatus (minivans) and dented cars criss-cross the crowded streets of busy Kampala. Great to get a breath of fresh air on the back of the boda after an intensive journey of more than 10...

"Today is your lucky day, cause this lady is about to deliver!" I've been working in the obstetrics department for less than an hour, that's off to a good start! The 22-year-old mother takes off her dress, places her cut open garbage bag on the treatment table and takes a seat. scovia...

"So, where did Joan go?" I ask Monday morning after the transfer. 'She died Saturday morning' my colleague replies. Oh nooo….! Only 10 years old, so malnourished that her skin started to peel. She has been hospitalized for over a week, always curled up in…

BEEP, BEEP! 7.15 am, the start of my daily morning ritual. I quickly turn off my alarm clock, push my mosquito net aside and get out of bed. I walk to the kitchen to pour the (now cooled) water from my kettle into an empty bottle and put it in my fridge...

'Bam, Bam Bam!!' I shoot up and look around my bedroom, startled awake from a deep sleep. What time is it? 4 pm, Saturday afternoon. What is that hard banging? Bewildered, I rub my tousled hair out of my face as I am between the thump of my...

"Hey Mzungu!" (white) I shout in surprise when I bump into an older, white man on my way to the greengrocer. We start talking laughing, you don't see white people here often! The Danish man is in Kisiizi for 3 days, on his way to the famous...

BAM! Phsss… The driver quickly pulls the overcrowded mini-van to the side of the road. Without saying a word, he snatches a key from under his driver's seat as he quickly gets out. Another collects some large stones and a third makes it...

"Would you please consider adopting him?" asks the aunt who came to the hospital with David. The five-month-old baby looks at me with wide, curious eyes. I would almost be tempted to say yes, what a sweetheart! The...

TRING TRING! The shrill sound of the old-fashioned telephone echoes over the children's ward. I rush to the counter, hoping that another patient doesn't need to be admitted. I take the receiver off the hook and lean over the table so as not to put too much tension on it...

'Hello?' Six pairs of curious eyes look mischievous into my house, triggered by the cheerful music that reverberates through my speaker. "Hey, come in!" shyly the children walk in, fascinated by the pictures on my wall. I bring the cushions from my couch...

Next! One by one, mother and child enter the nurse's station to receive antibiotics. "Iziina Niowana Nieriiah?" I ask as they sit on the chair, after which they tell me the name of the child with a laugh. I take out the correct medication form, calculate the dose...

Weekend! That means time to explore a bit of the country! Together with Heather and Eliza we will spend a relaxing day at Lake Bunyonyi. At 6.30 am we get into the car, ready for the 3-hour drive on unpaved roads. I stare into the distance...

We have just finished the doctor's visit, good news for the 4 children who can be discharged! Completely recovered after blood transfusion due to severe anemia, antibiotics for pneumonia, (homemade) tube feeding for malnutrition and infusion treatment for...

Once I arrive in Kisiizi I am warmly welcomed by the staff. I had no idea what kind of accommodation the hospital would have arranged, so I was pleasantly surprised to see that I had been allocated a house of my own right next to the hospital!...

The last days in the Netherlands flew by! Before I know it, I'm on a plane on Saturday morning, where I can enjoy a view of the most beautiful landscapes for 10 hours, relax for a while. After a successful flight with only 1 stopover in...