Professionals Prepare for Uganda Mission Trip

By Bryan Eckert, NEWS 9 Managing Editor

Uganda. A country I'd never gave a moment of thought to, never concerned myself with its history or culture, and certainly never thought I'd be going there, but that all changed when I was asked in the middle of January, "Do you want to go to Uganda?" My first thought was ‘where?' ‘Why? I know Uganda's in Africa, but where again are you asking me to go?'

After a few seconds, which seemed like minutes, I stopped questioning and listened. I learned that I would be one of four Griffin Communications employees to travel with a group called Pros for Africa to Gulu, Uganda to document the group's work over four days in March.

I quickly became very excited. Excited because I love to travel, excited because of the group of people I'd be traveling with, and excited because of the stories I know we'll be able to share with our viewers. These Oklahomans are helping people who desperately need it. They are donating their own time and money to make this happen. Doctors are paying for, and bringing medical supplies. A company is bringing its well digging equipment to dig wells, teach others how to do it, and what's really special, is they're going to leave their equipment, which costs tens of thousands of dollars, so the locals can dig their own wells once we're long gone.

The preparation for this trip is a little different than flying to Dallas, or even to Europe. I had to get eight shots, four in each arm. Shots for big-time diseases- yellow fever, typhoid, malaria. Diseases we obliterated decades ago, even more than a century ago. I fainted after the fourth shot. The nurse says that happens to some people. I think she was just trying to make me feel better.

Not only do you have to get your body ready, but you have to strategically pack for this trip. We are all armed with mosquito netting, insect repellants, and sunscreens. I feel like a drug store when I look at my pile that I'm taking. We basically wiped one out buying all the over-the-counter medicines we're told to take. It's everything from decongestants to anti-histamines, to anti-fungal creams. This is a big change from most trips I take. You pack light, buy when needed, but you can't count on walking down to Walmart in Gulu. If you want it, or think you MIGHT need it, you better pack it. Needless to say we are.

We will buy bottled water in Kampala before we head to Gulu. Like Mexico, you're told "don't drink the water." So we won't. Ken Surrette with Water Is Life, is sending thousands of his filtered straws. These straws, which you may have seen on our air, allow people to drink from the most polluted, gross water, but what goes into their mouths is good, clean water. As far us, we'll buy our bottled water, lots of it, before we board our busses for a four-hour ride to Gulu. I'm excited we'll cross over the Nile. Never imagined I'd be doing that.

Once in Gulu, I know we'll be overwhelmed with what we see- even though we've been told, and we've seen through some films. These are people who've been brutalized for decades by despotic rulers, stretching back to Idi Amin's bloody rule in the 70's. Children have been kidnapped, and then turned into soldiers or for the girls, sex slaves. They're then tossed away like garbage when there is no longer a use for them. Poverty is all around.

Pros for Africa is looking to help. Adrian Peterson, Tommie Harris, Mark Clayton, and Roy Williams are making the trip. All NFL players and OU standouts, they will definitely put smiles on the faces of people. All are outstanding players, but I know I'll get to see up close what wonderful people they are. I know I'll see a lot of smiles because of them. There are four doctors who will hold clinics, and I already mentioned the wells that will come as a result of an Oklahoma company. The group will also hand out more than 2000 pounds of food. How exciting!

We are coming back to put together a half-hour special that will at 7 p.m. April 21 on NEWS 9 in Oklahoma City and The News On 6 in Tulsa. I bet our biggest challenge will be to decide which stories make our special, and which ones don't. I imagine having enough stories that could fill five hours of programming.

After hearing I was going my wife said, "this trip will change your life." The next three people I told said the exact same thing. I think they'll end up being right. I hope they are.