This experience was meant to be an overview/general exposure. It undeniably was. It motivated me to find my place in it all. I know that I will be able to someday work with communities to address their concerns. I want to use my knowledge/experience to empower those already here. I truly believe that a person is only responsible for what they know. With that being said I know a ton about Uganda and what their country needs. I do feel obligated in someway. But beyond that, I have the heart to help. As I have expressed several times, understanding my privileges was unavoidable here. I know why I would want to return etc. and I have no response to why not? While at the Embassy, the Ambassador shared this quote “to learn your own country you have to leave it.” That sums up well how I feel about this experience. I have learned so much about the U.S. and myself I can’t express it all. I appreciate those who welcomed me to Uganda. I am infinitely grateful. I can't wait to use my passport again!
It’s my last day, bitter sweet. I’m excited to go home because I am a bit home sick (not to mention my boyfriend's nephew was born January 6th and I'm anxious to see him) but I will definitely miss Uganda. This experience has changed my life. The world feels smaller, I feel more connected. I learned in such a unique way. It was all about using my senses I smelled, felt, saw, heard and tasted new things. It was sometimes challenging. But in the end I am pleased.
I learned about Uganda’s culture, health care system, challenges, strengths, goals, economics, history, politics….I appreciate every moment I have spent here. I believe I am a better person. Really, I feel that I have changed so much in three weeks. I was forced to be uncomfortable, challenge the way I have lived my entire life. I lived someone else's reality. I look forward to the opportunity to share with family, friends and strangers what I have learned here. It was nice to hear from my group mates what they learned during our stay. Overall, I was pleased. The theme seemed to be that now the problems we’ve read about in the news, have seen on TV or maybe studied have now become personal. The problems Uganda is facing are no longer theirs alone, but ours. My group mates and I are undeniably motivated to make some change.
Dr. Kahitahi shared that many people in Uganda are “starving among plenty.” Wow, that really stuck with me. I believe when we think about problems in undeveloped countries we assume that they don’t have necessary resources. Although that may be the case, it is not always. I truly believe that most of what Uganda needs to make change is actually within the country. The experts are those who have lived and worked in these communities. It’s my 22nd Birthday! I’m so happy. Well, I had the opportunity to tour the Kamwokya Christian Caring Community (KCCC) today. Their efforts are extremely holistic. This center has an HIV/AIDS clinic, youth/children’s programs, mental health support, spiritual support, a bank, a school and other area-specific programs. They are located in the heart of the slums and are serving their community in almost every way possible. The slums are really the only time I felt unsafe while in Uganda. There are just so many people living in such a small area. This center is amazing though. They are doing the serving a community that often goes unnoticed.
Also today we visited to U.S. Embassy! I didn’t really know what to expect but I had a great time. We were offered the opportunity to ask any questions we wanted to our U.S. Ambassador in Uganda. Such a unique experience and we spent about 2 hours with him. We asked about Uganda/U.S. relationships, efforts to improve the healthcare system in Uganda, politics and how aid money from the U.S. is distributed in Uganda. Later that evening we went to Imelda’s house. We were greeted by young children who bowed before us. Not knowing that this was actually a part of their culture, I insisted that they instead hug me! I later learned that in their culture when you are welcoming someone to your home you bow. Imelda even bowed to us! It is also cultural to provide food to guests, even a light snack/beverage when they enter your home. That would be nice in the U.S. For dinner, we went to an amazing restaurant called Hippoz. The food was delicious! Norah made me a cake and they sang Happy Birthday to me for the 3rd time that day. I appreciated the love. Well, that’s it. I’m a year older and it was fun! Today was another day of lectures. It went well. I also learned a ton about nutrition. We visited a malnutrition clinic. I was tremendously impressed by how well the clinic was run, it seems to truly impact people’s lives. These are some of the sickest children I will probably ever see. It’s difficult to see this, really it is. It’s interesting to make comparisons to the U.S. At home, our problem is over nutrition and Uganda is plagued by under nutrition. On a lighter note, I just saw a cat lying on the floor in the hospital! I have no idea what to make of that, ha-ha.
Tonight I talked to my roommates about making change in communities that really need it. We talked about the significance “a little” can make. I spoke about a young boy I saw at the clinic today. He was so happy and grabbed my heart immediately! Just 2-3 weeks before me seeing him he was a frail, sick child. The focused and concentrated efforts of the people in the clinic have turned his life around. He was fed regularly and received appropriate health care. It doesn’t take much to make a difference in someone’s lives. Today I learned about HIV/AIDS in Uganda. Although I have heard countless talks on the topic I learned a lot today! It was a very personal look at the progression of HIV/AIDS. Uganda was really one of the countries to step up and address the issues very effectively. We also had a very conclusive talk on malnutrition.
I’ve written a lot of “notes” but in reflection I will say that I enjoyed today. I learned more from the individuals we shared with than probably any book I could read on the topics. They are truly experts in their fields. I appreciated the opportunity to hear from them. It is also great to see Ugandan natives taking initiative to educate people within the country and beyond. Traditional medicine is very important in Ugandan culture. Many people consult traditional healers before western trained health providers. I believe that traditional medicine definitely has its place. However, I believe there is an effective and tangible balance that must be obtained. I do value traditional medicine because much of modern medicine is based on the herbs and remedies. Also, there are thousands of people who trust this form of medicine. To totally discount it would be dangerous. I feel it is better to provide advice about safe use. However, it is difficult to prove the effectiveness of most traditional medicines. I see a potential problems resulting from lack of information and knowledge about the impact of certain herbs.
I was sick all day so I stayed in bed. I have not been this sick in years.
Today while headed to the Nile. On our way we passed the area where people’s bodies were left during Idi Amin’s reign. No, it wasn’t a cemetery just a large hole on the side of the road. We were told that people actually had to pay to look through the piles for their loved ones. Can you imagine that? So glad that’s in Uganda’s past. I also learned about the Ugandan martyrs. This was a group of 20 young men who would not denounce Christianity. As such they were burned alive. Each year people travel to Uganda for a pilgrimage to pay their respects and pray. The Nile and Buijagali Falls were unbelievable. I took pictures, but they do it no justice. One of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen. While there a little boy sang for me, so cute. I gave him money for the performance. I was told I needed to gain more weight today. Definitely not the first time I’ve heard it but this time it was really funny. I was told if I stayed one more month I’d look like a Buffalo, ha-ha. I can afford some pounds, but I doubt the Buffalo thing. After being tourists we went to Mukono, Professor Ntambi’s home town. I was blown away by how far the money we’ve raised at UW-Madison through our Village Health Project has gone. His old school has been turned upside down. The students danced for us! I was touched by Professor Ntambi’s story. He used to have class outside on a dirt surface. He walked us through what he did and talked about the importance of education. I remember him saying “you don’t have to be rich or poor…education will solve your problems.” Professor Ntambi went from these humble beginnings to obtaining a Fulbright Scholarship for study in America, attending John’s Hopkins and teaching at UW-Madison. He is a local hero. Unlike many, he returned home. He used his education to benefit students studying at Madison but has not forgotten where he came from. His life is a true inspiration. We had the opportunity to visit his home that afternoon and meet several members of his family. I got sick tonight. It was most likely food poisoning. Before returning to Kampala we visited the Lyantonde hospital. Something the head nurse said while we were there stuck with me. She said “health has no boundaries.” I agree. She was referring to their patient population and how they serve over 75,000 in this one, small hospital. We also walked through an HIV/AIDS clinic at the hospital and I couldn’t help but put myself in the shoes of the people sitting in the clinic. I can’t imagine sitting where they were and seeing a group of approximately 20 foreigners with notebooks walk in. How uncomfortable. I would fear judgment. Especially because you may see me sitting here, but you don’t know my story. You don’t know that I was born with AIDS, I was raped or I contracted HIV from my husband. I thought about how we often stigmatize people, it’s important for us to get to know the individual before the disease. At the hospital we also visited the malnutrition clinic and a little girl who was definitely a success story. we gave out beanie babies and clothing! The smiles are their faces are unforgettable. Everything is so fluid here. Hmm, like nothing is set in stone. I feel that time works for us instead of us working for time. I appreciate it. I wish I could capture some of the smells here. Wow! Sometimes we’ll be driving and I just get a sniff of something I have never smelled in my life. Sometimes they are good but usually bad, ha-ha. I think the bad smells are like fish/trash. It’s hard to explain. Just know you don’t want to smell it. I also can’t believe the number of health clinics and drug shops. They are literally everywhere. It’s scary to think that they have no organization or system of managing these places. I can’t imagine the range of services, medical advice and medicine people are receiving. We visited the equator on the way back to Kampala and participated in the Great Equator experiment, I took video. The water went clockwise on the North side of the Equator Then it went counter-clockwise on the South side of the Equator. Finally, it went straight down on the Equator line. Some people don't believe it...what do you think?
|
JOURNAL
These are excerpts of the personal journal I kept during my three weeks in Uganda, Africa. I didn’t want to spend too much time on grammar etc. because I wanted it to be more about sharing my ideas/feelings and less about me submitting a polished reflection. I hope you understand. There are also TONS of photos sprinkled throughout. Feel free to click on the entry title and leave comments and ask any questions that will help you better understand my experience! Journal
Archives
January 2011
|