A Billings-based humanitarian group has postponed its annual trip to Uganda after an Ebola outbreak raised concerns about travel safety and the possibility of a government lockdown.
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AIDSpirit, which has supported an orphanage in Uganda's Kayunga district for nearly three decades, was scheduled to depart Thursday.
A team of 11 volunteers made the unanimous decision to delay the trip just three days before departure.
"It was a big decision to have to make, and it was a unanimous decision fortunately with the entire team," said Tom Jacques, AIDSpirit director.
The decision came after the CDC reported that an American missionary working in the Democratic Republic of Congo tested positive for Ebola, which has since spread to Uganda.
"There's a threat that this could escalate, and if it does, the government there could lock down, which would put us in a real peril," said Jacques. "And also coming back here, would we even be able to come back into the states?"
Jacuqes and his wife Jean, director of children's programs for AIDS Spirit, have made the trip to Uganda 17 times since 2009.
The couple described the annual visits as deeply personal.
"We go back once a year to hug our children, to repair things, to work on the farm.," said Jean Jacques. "To be there, we love going to Africa and we love the people."
The group had packed clothes, shoes, medicine, and school supplies to bring to the orphanage. Jean emphasized the importance of education for the children they serve.
"If a girl doesn't have an education, she has no chance, absolutely none, except to go back to a village and get pregnant," Jean Jacques said. "And the boys too, our kids are upstanding citizens and they are good brothers and sisters to each other."
Beyond the orphanage, AIDSpirit has restored 18 wells and drilled 18 additional wells, providing clean water to thousands of people.
The organization also provides medicine and medical clinics for children with sickle cell anemia.
"It was the best thing that ever happened to us," Jean Jacques said. "We learned that we could make a difference in the world, and we have made a difference, and they in turn have made a difference in our lives. So we feel really blessed."
The trip is currently on hold and the group hopes to return to Uganda in January of next year.
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