Elephantitus at Village in Kamwenge

We just returned from a three day trip to Kamwenge district. We did another visit to Torro High School and to the primary kids as well as seeing families. But the hardest thing was the last village we visited. Many of the local people are suffering from Elephantitus. (spelling?) This is a disease which causes swelling of the extremities and these areas to become pus filled blisters which pop and smell unbelievably bad. These people are often shunned by their own family. It's contagious too. There is no real 100% cure, but it can be greatly alleviated in many cases. Medicine will save lives, for about $30 a year. Surgery is sometimes needed. If untreated, the people will die a slow, painful death.

I cried (in the bus, not in front of them) when I saw this suffering.
BUT I have AMAZING friends. I cannot and will not post all of the pictures due to graphic nudity. The man (pictured here with clothes on) allowed pictures to be taken of him without his clothes. His scrotum weighs over 12 pounds. After seven weeks of helping in villages, I am broke, so I sent these pictures to caring people as soon as I got back to Kampala and the internet access, and within just a few hours, enough friends promised to send money by depositing in my US bank account.. I am now withdrawing the shillings here and giving to the community facilitator who will take him to have surgery. Thank God.. and thank you to my friends who reached out to care about these people across the world that they never even met. You have saved lives today- literally




This woman had rags to tie up her feet because shoes no longer fit her.




But she was still able to smile.
She felt beautiful in her yellow dress and I told her she was!



This 18 year old man was in excrutiating pain. His scrotum had swelled to the size of a large cantaloupe.



We gave this little girl some pain medication as well as the Elephantitus medicine.



She had already lost part of her foot. Some toes were gone/badly decomposed.