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Our CEO's Muzungu Blog - Day 5: A Quiet Day of Preparation


The clocktower in Mbale. The banner reads: A planning  and strategy day - future partnerships in Uganda for Mildmay


Today was planned as a quieter day, allowing us to review the Project Brief and Business Case, and to spend time in preparation for tomorrow’s meetings.


Since tomorrow will be a long day, starting early for the journey back to Kampala, we decided to stay at the hotel and take things a bit slower.


By early afternoon, the temperature had risen significantly, and with good progress made, we opted to take a break until the cooler evening hours. There’s a saying that “only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun,” and while we work straight through most days, it was nice to avoid the madness today!


It’s worth reflecting on the vast area that JOY Health Centre & Hospice serves with its palliative care services. If I were to tell you that it covers twelve districts, that might not mean much to most readers. But to give you a better idea, imagine an area roughly the size of Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire, Buckinghamshire, and Gloucestershire combined - that’s the scale of their reach.


Later in the day, Dr Jan White and I met with the Engineering Officer and her team to discuss the unique challenges of running a healthcare facility like JOY Hospice in Africa. Meanwhile, Jan was also in touch with her home group in Witney, South Oxfordshire, highlighting how technology has made it easier to respond to urgent requests for equipment, supplies, and even prayers. The ability to communicate so quickly and effectively means that support can be mobilized in a matter of minutes. It turns out, even God can be reached via WhatsApp!


Geoff Coleman

Chief Executive

Mildmay Hospital


Photo of the clocktower in Mbale: John Hayward on Flickr




See Geoff's previous Muzungu blog posts here:







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Mzungu, also known as muzungu, mlungu, musungu or musongo, is a Bantu word that means "wanderer" originally pertaining to spirits. The term is currently used in predominantly Swahili-speaking nations to refer to foreign people dating back to the 18th century. The noun Mzungu or its variants are used in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Malawi, Rwanda, Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Comoros, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Mayotte, Zambia and in Northern Madagascar (the word changed to "vozongo" in Malagasy, but locals will still understand the word mzungu) dating back to the 18th century.