The day has finally come, and I'm all packed up ready to go to Uganda, for three months, returning August 12th
I will be out there volunteering for Soft Power Health. Soft Power Health is a charity run by Dr Jessie Stone, a kayaker and doctor who was appalled by the effects of Malaria she found when on a kayaking expedition to Uganda and set up Soft Power Health to do something about it.
I found out about Soft Power Health in a kayaking magazine about this time last year and immediately knew I wanted to volunteer with them, its hard to believe that its actually happened and I'm about to leave. Since then numorous emails have been exchanged between me and Soft Power, many begging letters have been sent and in the last few weeks the details have started to come together, with flights booked, insurance sorted, tent bought and packing (almost) complete. I'm flying out with 1 kayak, 1 bag and 1 hand luggge bag, and despite ruthless culling am still over the weight limit
Soft Power Health provides education, prevention and treatment for Malaria, one of the bigget killers in Uganda. As a volunteer I will be involved in various aspects of this, though I don't quite know what to expect.
I will also hope to do some kayaking out there in my spare time as SPH is based close to the White Nile.
For more information check out
www.softpowerhealth.org
All soft power volunteers are required to raise the money themselves and adonation of $75-100 is expected per week
Thanks to a number of organisations who I wrote to who have helped me out financially:
The Haberdashers Company
Allan & Nesta Ferguson Trust
Rotary Club of Chepstow
Lions Club International
Old Monmothians Club
