Rugazi

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The last two weeks have been jam packed. We completed our community health training at MUST with the Ugandan students. The days were full of classroom learning and our evenings were spent with Kenneth and Resty (our Ugandan friends) exploring Mbarara, enjoying local restaurants, street food (lots of rolex), and night life.

That weekend we embarked for Rugazi again, this time accompanied by our Ugandan counterparts. We have spent the last two weeks at the same health centre I described in my last entry. I have found myself establishing a niche on the maternity ward. I find I can be most useful there and I am learning so much from the midwives, who are all so good to me. The mothers and babies are also incredible. I'm in awe every day of the resiliency of the Runyankole people, who not only live but thrive with less resources than I could have ever imagined. I also love the Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) clinic, since HIV is something I see in patients often in Saskatchewan. The doctors here are experts in HIV care, and although the Rubirizi district has a higher prevalence of HIV than most of the country, over 90% of patients boast a suppressed viral load.

Our Canadian-Ugandan team has bonded very well. We spend our free time playing cards, enjoying local events, attending the markets, adventuring for rolex, going on scenic runs, listening to Anne-Sophie play her ukulele, and a lot of laughing. We also got to celebrate Anne-Sophie's 20th birthday!

I'm looking forward to spending the next week in Rugazi with our friends and then taking off on an adventure across the country (to Kampala and Gulu) with our program supervisor, Sarah, when she arrives. Until next time.

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