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We have made it to Africa! Long flight plans, extensive jet lag, figuring out how to use malaria nets, currency exchange, phone set up and exotic food choices were all part of the journey. With that said, we are grateful to be here.
Introductions are customary, in both Canada and Uganda, and that is how we will begin our blog. We are a group of health science students and professionals affiliated with the University of Saskatchewan. Our group consists of 6 nurses (4 graduate and 2 registered), 2 nutrition students, and 1 pharmacy student. Many of us were strangers when we landed in Uganda but we have forged strong bonds in the short amount of time we have been together. As per usual, eating, sleeping, working, laughing, and sharing mutual frustrations brings people together.
Our group of 9 was split into two groups following orientation for a four week community placement in rural Uganda. Our group, consisting of Tye, Rene, Philomena and Vivian (all nurses), has been placed in Rugazi. We are accompanied by 9 Ugandan students from the Mbarara University of Science and Technology. Our time in Rugazi is split between providing care in the primary health centre
along with planning and implementing a community initiative.
Philomena here,
The week started with Cross Cultural Training which aside from being informative was really interactive. It was helpful to realise that Uganda is a diverse country with many languages and that many Ugandan students also went through a process of cultural adaptation when entering rural communities.
I tried not to have any expectations when I arrived in Mbarara for the training. The last week involved long days in the classroom, and I enjoyed forging relationships with the Ugandan students. It was helpful to go over relevant concepts such as stakeholder and root cause analysis, principles of primary health care, and goal setting to have a foundation before entering the community. It was also a great chance to work together as a group and see each individual's personality in action. As a group we have learned to laugh with each other, and we laugh often. I think this will be very important in the weeks ahead.
One of the assessment tools we learned about was a transact walk. On Sunday afternoon we all set out (some more eager than others...) to see Rugazi. Aside from noting homes,
schools, and community buildings we marvelled at a crater lake, coffee plants, and lush vegetation. We also got caught in the rain. On Monday we had a tour of the health center, and look forward to working with Ugandan students from the Kampala International University and learning about the Ugandan healthcare system.
Tye is next,
A trip to Africa has been on my bucket list since I was a little girl, and here I am, living out my dream. As grateful as I am for this opportunity it has come with struggles and challenges. I don't think the feeling of homesickness will ever subside completely throughout our 3 month stay. I am not the only unexperienced traveller in the group; being continents away from the people we love is difficult. However, I realize that I am fortunate to have friends and family to miss and who miss me in return.
Copping with culture shock has also been a challenge. This week I figured out that I am white. In Canada, I am simply a person. In Africa I am a white person, or "muzungu," as the locals call us. White skin is affiliated with wealth and is
especially rare in the rural villages where we are currently staying. I figure that the best way to deal with these feelings is to immerse myself in the village, the people, and the culture. I have enjoyed daily runs which afford me spectacular views, high-fives with school children, and greetings from shop-keepers. I have also enjoyed chatting, bantering, and learning from the Ugandan students with whom we are placed in Rugazi. They are knowledgable, friendly, welcoming and accommodating to us Canadian folk.
I look forward to jumping into the important work that awaits us in Rugazi. Poverty is everywhere but so is joy. We are finding happiness in the simple things that we often take for granted in Canada, such as electricity, running water, friendship, laughter, shelter, and medical care. I find myself whistling, singing, or humming Bob Marley's "Don't Worry, Be Happy" on a daily basis. These words best describe the attitude with which I approach everyday in Africa. There is far more good than bad.
Rene shall now share,
Like Tye I am new to all of this travelling business. I often sit and think of the thankfulness I hold, that a Cree First Nation
woman from Cowessess First Nation has been given the opportunity to travel to such beauties of the world.
This experience has been challenging in means of communication. At times I sit and have no idea what people are saying around me. The Ugandan accents definitely make understanding English difficult. After our first two days of training I decided not to see this is as negative challenge, rather as a positive. So I quickly became more keen and attentive in class, and by the end of the week I found myself amazed by the teaching and learning styles in MUST classes. Group discussion, active participation, and paper flip chart presentations quickly replaced the powerpoint and electronic learning we have become accustom to in Canada. It has allowed me to learn a vast amount and gave me excitement to learn new concepts with the Ugandan students, with a Ugandan view point.
As we worked collaboratively with medical students, pharmacy, nutrition, lab tech and nurses we created great discussion, but also learned of how simple words can easily be misinterpreted. "Demonstrations" will be our example, for the Ugandans this is seen as a uproar or unrest protest and for Canadians it means role playing or showing others how to do something. But if it was not for a 10 minute discussion we would not come to understand that both groups seen this simple word as different, thus a cross cultural misunderstanding.
One thing I can not go with out mentioning is the beauty this country hold. Lush trees, produce and such beautiful scenery. The flowers and wildlife have taken my breath away. I got to hold fresh coffee beans in my hand. I am 100% a coffee addict. Thus I was shocked to see that this country rarely consumes its own production, rather it is all exported. So I shall continue my search of finding fresh coffee, and update when I get to finally try it. Until then, instant coffee will remain my daily mix with the delicious milk tea we are served every morning.
I most definitely could go on and on with my experiences thus far, but I will end my section with the beautiful smiles I am greeted with and the curious stares us "light skinned" people are met with. "Hakuna Mattah, it means no worries for the rest of our days"...a song shared every morning with my new friends of Canada, along with wild out laughs, games, tears, and unique outlooks. The biggest changes develop from our greatest challenges.
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Great Team
Thank you all for your dedication and, I hope, humility. I believe it will open your horizon on life. Joy and happiness do not necessarily depend on amount of material goods available to us but on our attitude to life in general. Great ladies. We are cheering for you back home. We cannot wait to have you all back. Be sure to make an indelible mark in the hearts and minds of those you meet and those you work with. Saint Mother Teresa challenged us to "Do Little Things With Love". Minor correction: "Don't Worry, Be Happy" does not belong to Bob Marley but to Bobby McFerrin. Kudos to you wonderful ladies.