Several of us have described this trip as the “experience of a lifetime”. It is hard to describe the sights, sounds and smells that will stick with us forever!
“Gemba walk” is a LEAN term meaning “go see the problem”. This trip allowed us to gain insights that you can’t get from just reading about it. Our hope is that through this blog, you shared in our experiences, and found the same passion for finding a solution.
The Crane team would like to thank the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for hosting such an experience, especially Sun and Doulaye for providing this great opportunity. It was incredibly well coordinated due to the significant efforts of Sarah (thanks, mom) and Jenelle. We couldn’t have packed one more meeting or tour into our schedule! We would also like to thank the people that took time out of their busy schedules to meet with us and tour us around. They are too many to mention! We would also like to thank Barb for getting all our passports, visas and shots organized, and Sara for organizing the blog and getting it sent out – thanks to all!
Lance received this note from one of the KCCA employees after we left showing a glimpse of their true heart!
I would like to take this opportunity to thank you and the rest of the guys on your team for being wonderful people. We were so blessed to have met you. We pray to God to enrichly bless you. As we strive to make the project a success, we bless God for the opportunity. We thank you for giving us an opportunity to be part of the project. Continue with a giving heart and it is only God who will reward you at the end of the day.
Stay blessed
The chimpanzees are well cared for with yearly doctor exams. We were fortunate to witness one big chimp during his examination under sedation.
On our way back to the boat dock, the captain stopped the boat and told us we were on the equator and we could use our phone GPS to pin our location for proof!
We then said our goodbyes to some of our new friends from JSA as they had other visits attached to their trip. Jenelle was meeting her father for a father/daughter sightseeing trip to South Africa. Jon, Terry, and Paul headed to the mountains to look for gorillas. The difference between the chimp tour and the gorilla tour is there are no fences between the gorillas and the spectators – safe travels guys! From there we cleaned up and headed to the airport.
Kids are most at risk when there is poor sanitation, and we saw a lot of kids. I would like to share a few short stories and pictures on our last post as a tribute to them.
As we walked through the settlements, several kids followed us around, sometimes for the whole day. Wherever we went we heard the Ugandan word “bazunga”, which means white people. We walked by a school and the kids all lined up in their courtyard peering through the fence yelling “bazunga, bazunga”.
One little boy grabbed Jenelle’s hand and tried to wipe the white off to see if she was black underneath!
A young mother carried her small child over to me and when the child saw my face she had a severe panic attack. I know I haven’t aged well but this response had to be attributed to my white skin!
There was a pretty little girl in a dirty pink tattered dress staring at me while I was waiting for the team. I asked her what her name was and she said in the cutest voice, “Princess”. Her mom just smiled!
The kids really liked to have their picture taken. They wanted to touch the phone because they couldn’t understand that it was an image of them. The kid stories go on and on, but the majority of these kids were incredibly happy, always smiling and playful, despite their living conditions! These are just some of the faces etched in our hearts!! Thanks for reading – we will have an update at Crane Engineering so you can ask questions.