Childhood, Health and Education Reflections

Education Reflection

2012-02-02T18:53:00.000-08:00

After a hot morning at the S.t Joseph Nansana CatholicSchool, a primary school in the suburbs of Kampala, followed by a site tour ofan education- and health-focused NGO based in Nansana, called “Nurture Africa”,exhaustion overruled our group’s ability and willingness to actively engage indiscussion. Even the vanilla ice creambought at our roadside stop that reminded many Hopkins students of BettyCrocker Vanilla Frosting, and was deliciously cold hadn’t helped much.

While our trio’s focus for the trip was on education, we hadplanned for a rather academic reflection session with our peers. Looking at the tired faces, and back at eachother, we knew we’d pull this through.

While in Uganda, we had predominantly focused on thedisparities between public and private schools, at both the primary andsecondary levels. Specifically, we hadlooked at the effects of Universal Primary Education (UPE) and UniversalSecondary Education (USE), policies with the goal of providing free primary andsecondary education to children in Uganda. Furthermore, our time in Uganda had coincided with the release of PLEresults, the marks on the national Primary Leaving Examination, that likelycemented the fate of many young minds. The exams and results had served as a great backdrop to our livelydiscussions that settled around the inequity between public and privateschools, and had highlighted educational patterns similar not across Uganda andin the US, but maybe across the World. While entertaining these similarities, we had begun forming a draft forour reflection.

When planning four our reflection session, and throughoutthe trip, the diversity of our trio played an essential role in steeringconversation. Amongst the three of us,we had attended both public and private schools in a total of six differentcountries: Switzerland, Germany, Uganda, Ivory Coast, and the USA. Through our own experiences, our groupdiscussions, and our experiences during structured activities in Uganda, werealized just how much we had in common, and what a large role misconceptions,especially in regards to education could have. With this in mind, we began our reflection session.

While the fatigue was still visible in our peer’s faceswhile we questioned them about their academic past, we did find out someinteresting facts about our group:

- Most JHU students attended public secondary schools; mostMakerere students attended private secondary schools.

- JHU students generally defined their scholastic experienceby social experiences, Makerere students by academic rigor.

- For most students, at least one parent had previouslyattended university. (The three students whose parents both had not attendeduniversity were all from Hopkins)

- When inquiring about student’s perception of their secondaryeducation system’s fairness (predominantly in regards to gender), we got mixed,but overall relatively positive answers from both Makerere and Hopkins students.

- The majority of students, Makerere and Hopkins alike, perceivedtheir secondary education as extremely helpful and beneficial in theirdevelopment. (Three students felt that their social experiences andenvironments, especially at the university level, were more impactful in theirdevelopment)

- While parental involvement varied from person to personregardless of origin, all students acknowledged that parental value ofeducation is a critical factor in educational achievement.

- Given enough money and the choice of sending theirchildren to either a public or private school of similar academic reputation, moststudents, from both universities, would send their child to the same type ofsecondary school they attended (ie. If they attended private school, they wouldsend their child to private school and vice versa)

To conclude our reflection session, we handed out pieces ofpaper with two questions:

1) Public school students: How would you describe a privateschool?

Private schoolstudents: How would you describe a public school?

2) If you could only send one of your children to school,would you send your son or your daughter?

While public school students (predominantly American)described public schools as “snotty”, “prestige”, “elitist”, “having betterteachers and academics”, “affluent” and “sheltered”, their public school attendingcounterparts (mostly Ugandan) described private schools as “congested”,“underequipped”, “”having limited options”, “full of inequality”, and“diverse”. As discussed as a group afterreading out the results, we realized that both public and private students hada largely negative opinion about the opposite type of school.

While our discussion was cut short by our speaker, a headteacher from Kampala entering the room for our talk, our trio was pleasantlysurprised to note that, when faced with the choice of only sending one, themajority (63%) of our group would send their daughter, rather than their son toschool. This ended our day on a ratheroptimistic note, especially after weeks of reading and hearing about the highdrop-our rate of girls in Uganda.

Maternal Health Reflection

2012-01-29T08:08:00.000-08:00

On the evening before the final academic presentations at the Makerere University School of Public Health, we led a discussion on Ugandan and American perceptions of fertility, relationships, love and maternal health. We also sought to engage a broader culminating discussion to provide a sense of closure on the last Sunday at Ndere Center in Kampala. We sensed a slightly more somber mood: the days of independent fieldwork had come to a close and groups were mentally gearing up to articulate in fifteen brief minutes the very complex experiences and issues they had encountered over three weeks in Kampala and Rakai.

Our first goal was to rekindle some of the energy and dynamism that has characterized so much of this trip. We held two simple physical games, both requiring closeness and non-verbal communication. We wanted to harness some of the palpable restless energy, and the games did restore a sense of spirit, even after we had gorged ourselves on soup, Luwambo and all the classics — matoke, rice, yams, Irish potatoes, beans, etc. The competitive element allowed people to refocus after a minimally structured day in Kampala, first challenging three bodies to fit on a two-foot square leaf of newspaper, and then rearranging groups along a line without speaking.

Rather than structure a didactic conversation on the nature and scope of maternal health issues in Uganda, we opted to sensitize the group to the diversity of our own experiences (i.e. number of siblings, aunts/uncles, one's birth location, and anticipated number of children). Interestingly, we did not find a stark delineation between Hopkins and Makerere students. For instance, of the two people who reported having been born in a maternity center, one was American and the other Ugandan. The only universal perception was that of a uniquely rewarding MU-JHU collaboration, which students described as successful due to the group's cohesion, dynamism, openness, and diversity. Many cited preexisting anxieties that the group might gradually fragment into numerous cliques, but such a scenario never materialized in Uganda. Instead, the group was notable for its absence of "weird group dynamics", as well as its acceptance and receptiveness to individuals' needs.

The Social Context for Maternal Health in Africa
Social dynamics and relationship norms provide a contextual landscape for maternal health, both in terms of a woman's access to care and her health outcomes. We wanted to gauge whether the American and Ugandan students had encountered any surprising dynamics or behaviors, at the rural home-stay or in urban Kampala, that had informed their understanding of relationship norms (either American or Ugandan). Patience (MU) noted the seemingly inseparable nature of romantic relationships between Americans. She described love as pervasive and passionate, specifically noting the long distances over which relationships played out. She also noted, however, that divergences in academic or career paths were often enough sever ties between young couples. Both of her observations provide insight into how Ugandans might perceive American relationships.

The Americans were struck by the affection, generosity and intensity of platonic relationships between Ugandans. Jacques described contrasts between Ugandan and American social norms, noting that Americans are rhetorically "progressive," but in fact "very guarded about our space." In contrast, Ugandans more openly hug, hold hands and tolerate temporarily close quarters, on public taxis or Kampala's streets. Paradoxically, public displays of romantic love are rare and widely construed as inappropriate. As one MU student put it, "We don't have a kissing culture." The American students appreciated Ugandans' heightened sensitivity to physical well being and aberrations of the body. A bandaged knee, unnoticed in the U.S., had elicited Ugandans' concern (Joyce). Similarly, a conductor on a taxi had repeatedly asked Henry whether he was comfortable in the cramped space. The general mood of empathetic concern is perhaps best encapsulated by the typical Ugandan opening question in conversation: "How is your life?"

American and Ugandan Experiences: Birth and Fertility
Both MU and JHU students documented lower fertility rates among their generations, relative to their parents'. Of course, our results are not necessarily applicable to Uganda as a whole, for we were working with a highly educated group of students attending Makerere University. Nonetheless, these data do give a rough portrait of changes in contemporary reproductive norms across the life course and generations. Most students had 3-5 maternal aunts/uncles (45%), and roughly equal numbers had 1-2 (26%) and >6 maternal aunts/uncles (30%). The proportions of students reporting 1-2, 3-5 and >6 paternal aunts/uncles were roughly equal (~33%). The majority of students had 1-2 siblings (65%), with five students reporting 3-5 siblings. With respect to future fertility, most envisioned having 1-2 (48%) or 3-5 (39%) children. Of the three students who desired >6 children, all were Ugandan.

Adelina observed a qualitative correlation between a student's number of siblings and desirable future fertility rates. Henry noticed less of a contrast between Ugandans and Americans than the literature might lead us to anticipate. Indeed, we found some flexibility and variability in perceptions of the appropriate family size, and never encountered unrelenting perceptions of "normality" in fertility.

We also posed questions related to anticipated choice of delivery site for expectant American and Ugandan mothers. Americans generally believed that Ugandans gave birth at home, citing barriers such as transportation and cost of hospitalization, as well as cultural norms, perceptions of safety, and limited education as determinants of home birth. Brynn recollected a lecture by Gilbert Burnham, in which he mentioned that the majority of Ugandans live in secluded rural areas. Frank proposed that more Ugandan women might give birth in the presence of a traditional birthing attendant (TBA), due to lower cost and proximity to the village. In contrast, Ugandan students assumed that Americans gave birth in hospital settings, as access to health care was perceived to be high. Interestingly, Patience expected technology to be "so high" in the U.S. that some women might give birth in their own kitchens.

In fact, 83% of all (Ugandan and American) students had been born in a hospital, potentially reflective of the prominence of health facilities in the course of pregnancy and delivery in both countries. Only one Ugandan student had been born at home. This finding might offer an interesting starting point for further discussion related to the medicalization of childbirth, both in the U.S. and Uganda.

In Kampala with No Agenda
During reflections on the free day spent in Kampala, students echoed earlier positive impressions of the group dynamic as whole. The MU students relished in seeing JHU students respond to taxis, crowds and vendors on the streets. MU students also felt directly responsible for the experience of their American counterparts. JHU students sensed and appreciated the generosity and patience of their MU counterparts, and benefited from their guidance and the opportunity to independently explore the city. There was a general consensus that MU students would benefit from a future program in Baltimore, and that it would enable the Americans to reciprocate in some small way. Marie alluded to potential parallels between Baltimore and Uganda in terms of health and education. Adelina emphasized the necessity of experiential learning to good global health practice, and reasserted the need for travel and direct interactions between students in developing countries and the developed world. The desire to integrate Ugandan hospitality, work ethic and resilience into our lives in the U.S. was reiterated. For many, this program has revealed or reconfirmed academic and career paths, and that process has continually drawn from the invaluable aid (linguistic, cultural and social) of our Makerere collaborators.

The true extent of the program's impact on our spiritual, service and professional lives will reveal itself only gradually. But individual growth is also already evident. The candid nature of our discussions has enabled us to break through superficial impressions of place and people to tease out motivations, interests, and structural factors that influence health outcomes. I am hopeful that the group dynamics we cultivated were not the result of some arbitrary collection of complementary personalites, but rather the result of purposeful conversation, openness and engagement, qualities that can be replicated with future groups in Uganda, Africa, and throughout the world.

2012-01-29T04:37:00.001-08:00

We made it!

2012-01-28T17:54:00.001-08:00

We arrived at Dulles about 3:30 and had everyone dropped off at Mason Hall about 6. Thanks to all the students for being such a wonderful group! A few more blog posts, and probably many more pictures, to follow soon.

Fearless Leaders

2012-01-27T11:24:00.000-08:00

After a game drive, a river safari up the Nile, and a hike up Murchison Falls, the Giant and the Gnome take a break at the top of the falls.

Water and Sanitation Group 1 - Further Reflections

2012-01-27T05:56:00.001-08:00

The group added some further thoughts to their post from Jan. 10:

During our reflection session, we decided to present open-ended questions to the group and probe deeper into their responses. We discussed the first night in the rural homestay, both positives and negatives. We also conversed about ethical or proper behavior issues such as responding to "too much food." We ended the open-ended response session with statements from many students about their goals and expectations during their homestay. We tied up "loose ends" by discussing fears to overcome as part of the experience.

"Too much food" was a common statement brought up during the session. The homestay families showered their generosity among the students by providing them with large meals, abundant with all kinds of foods. Numerous students in the discussion exclaimed that they felt bad for refusing food and that "it was so much." THe students from Makerere University chimed in, claiming that a cultural rule in Uganda in terms of being a guest was to never refuse food. They claimed that refusing food was considered downright rude.

Some students in the discussion session expressed fears about surviving the homestay as well as fitting in with the family. There was a general vibe that the students were still getting used to living in a rural homestay. A few students from Makerere University shared comments about how hilarious it was for them to watch when JHU students adjust or behave. The method of "basin showering" was a common cited new experience for many of the JHU students during the rural homestay.

Back from Safari

2012-01-27T03:56:00.001-08:00

We're back in Kampala, about to head for the airport. Everyone is doing well and I'm sure all are looking forward to seeing our readers!

Orphans and Vulnerable Children 2 Reflection

2012-01-22T07:12:00.001-08:00

On Wednesday, our group split into two sections for the day's site visits and activities. One half of the students visited the Naguru remand home in the morning and the Sanyu Babies Home (SBH) in the afternoon, while the other half did the opposite. When the group came back together for the reflection session in the evening, it quickly became apparent that each group had very different experiences. The dialogue that resulted from evaluating the different experiences yielded some of the most emotional, profound, and meaningful reflections thus far.
In the first part of the reflection session, we asked the students to describe the day's experiences in one word. While students from group 1 used words such as "touching, interesting, and interactive," students from group 2 said, "deceit, misery, reality, and sad."
Next, we asked one person in each group to summarize their group's activities as objectively as possible. A member of group 1 described how his group participated in a debate with youth at the remand home. At SBH, group 1 held, fed, and played with nearly all 50 babies. In contrast, a member of group 2 described that her group was told not to hold children at SBH and instead made beds and washed windows. At the remand home group 2 held a question-and-answer session with all 180 youth. Upon leaving, they witnessed a boy being caned as punishment.
As we moved into the final part of the reflection session we asked students to compare and contrast experiences. The caning incident became a starting point for discussion, and students were visibly shaken by the occurrence. As facilitators, it was interesting to hear comments of guilt voiced by group 1 members who seemed to have a more positive experience overall.
In the end, the group engaged in a group discussion and came to two conclusions. First, we concluded that for as hellish as the circumstances may have appeared at the remand home and at SBH, very similar circumstances exist in US orphanages and juvenile detention centers. This realization made us consider why Americans feel that they must visit these sites abroad but often do not bother to explore similar places in their own communities.
Second, some students raised concerns about the orphanage "marketing" its babies to international visitors. Some expressed that they felt uncomfortable playing with the babies because they did not think it was fair to favor their own pleasure over the attachment the babies so often feel when visitors only briefly pass through their doors. This led to a larger discussion about our motives and the purpose of our site visits. When someone mentioned "selfishness" as a motive, another student asked us to consider how much international aid workers' might really be motivated by self-interest. As she said, someone once argued, "the third world is the playground for the first world."
We ultimately concluded that trying to discern the purity of our motives and those underlying all international aid efforts is a very complex task. However torn or confused we felt after this reflection session, we appreciated the opportunity to step back and really examine our experiences.

Children and HIV Study Group Reflection

2012-01-22T00:42:00.000-08:00

Our day consisted of visiting Baylor AIDS Initiative, MU-JHU, and Mulago Hospital. We gained more information on how these institutions are assisting the needs of mothers and children affected and infected by HIV/AIDS. As the Children and HIV group, while we were greatly benefited from this day, we also wanted to see in the reflection session how the other groups applied what they saw. Furthermore, we had been back in Kampala from Rakai for no more than a few days, so we were curious about how the students felt at this point.

We began our session with a light game called "Do Unto Others What They Would Do Unto You," in which we saw many interesting things, including a student pretending to peel matoke while doing the "robot." Then, we had an interesting discussion about our expectations and also how they have been met. Many of the students agreed that this trip has met or even exceeded their expectations. We also discussed about how it felt to be back in Kampala, a big and crowded city with many aspects that contrast with our rural experiences, such as toilets and a faster pace of life. We then asked students to reflect on the trip to the institutions and what they found to be surprising or interesting. We discussed the privacy of the patients and information confidentiality. Some felt that there was a lack of privacy in the wards, while others believed it is because Mulago is a teaching hospital, so students regularly observe. One student noticed that there were separate public and VIP sections within the hospital, according to how much patients can afford. As a response, a student felt that regardless of where they are, all patients should be treated with respect and dignity. Another student was surprised by the sheer number of mothers visiting for the first time at a late stage in their pregnancy, raising the question of why they would not come sooner. Also, many students noticed a stark contrast between the internationally funded institution (Baylor) and locally funded hospital (Mulago).

We went on to ask about how the students could relate their experiences to their own themes. The water and sanitation group realized the significance of clean water all throughout the hospital and institutions. They were also surprised at how children who survived HIV ended up dying from diarrhea. The OVC (orphans and vulnerable children) group had learned about a special program that Baylor offered to these particular children. Something that stuck out to the education group was how children of educated mothers were more likely to survive than those with uneducated mothers. Finally, the maternal health group realized that as much as mothers had access to transportation, once they arrive, access to services seemed to be insufficient.

Personally, our group came to realize just how many are affected by HIV, and we gained so much information on our topic, from PMTCT programs to the counseling of adolescents and caretakers. Also, we learned more about the process, in terms of where patients are referred to, depending on their situation. For example, children are treated at Baylor, while pregnant mothers go to MU-JHU. We look forward to learning and reflecting more from our stay in Kampala, as well as gaining more insight on how children with HIV are affected.

Conducted Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Making our way back to Kampala

2012-01-21T00:52:00.000-08:00

We came back to Kampala via one of the Ssese Islands, taking two ferries and spending the day and night between in Kalangala on Bugala Island. While the accommodations were not everything we had hoped for, we did have a relaxing day before plunging into our week of investigating youth health and education in Kampala.

Goodbye Party

2012-01-21T00:36:00.000-08:00

Before leaving the Rakai area we had a goodbye party with the host families in Masaka. There were many speeches and lots of dancing, including the seeming requirement that you dance on your way to the front to make your speech!

Special thanks go out to Fred, Agnes, Stephen and Eric at Rakai ... this never would have been such a success without all of your help!

Service Project Results

2012-01-21T00:28:00.000-08:00

Eventually these will all be stitched into a panorama, but for now use your imagination! The students paid to have the wall whitewashed and then designed and painted a mural.

More Pictures -- Service Project

2012-01-21T00:20:00.000-08:00

Some pictures of the students doing the service project at the school last Saturday, Jan. 14.

Reflection Blog: Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC)

2012-01-17T11:28:00.000-08:00

The end of our home stay and the day at Ssese Island marked the halfway point of our trip. This happened to also be the time when we ran our reflection session. Instead of focussing entirely on our theme topic of OVC, we decided that this was a great opportunity to reflect upon the experiences we had in the first half of the journey and those that are coming up in second half. For example, we discussed the lessons we learned throughout the home stay that changed our perspectives on topics that we easily take for granted. In particular, after the home stay many realized how important it is to conserve water in the rural areas, and how we greatly abuse the amount of water we use due to luxuries such as indoor plumbing and showers.

While we were working at the Rakai Project, the group started to delve into the controversial topic of research and medical ethics. Since it spurred such a heated but interesting debate, we decided to mention the topic again in our reflection session. Therefore, we asked questions such as, "would you rather donate your labor for a volunteer project, or just your money?" and "would you rather work on treatment for HIV/AIDS patients or work on preventing HIV/AIDS with behavior change?" After the discussion of these questions, we concluded that there is no right or wrong answer to these questions. It's a matter of what you personally value and the intentions that you have.

For the second half of our stay in Uganda, we are giving a lot of attention to our theme group topic and presentation. After having a very eye opening experience in the rural village of Rakai where the prevalence of orphans (especially from parents who were victims of AIDS) is very obvious, we are looking forward to finding comparisons of the treatments of orphans in a more urban setting. Tomorrow we are visiting a very popular orphanage called Sanyu Babies Home and then we plan on visiting smaller, more typical orphanages during our free day in the city on Thursday.

Conducted Sunday, January 15, 2012

Reflection Blog: Water and Sanitation Group 2

2012-01-15T12:41:00.000-08:00

Our reflection session occurred the day after each group got to spend the entire day shadowing their home stay families, an event that we were all both anxious about and looking forward to. Prior to the reflection session, we had a quick debrief in the morning about our experiences and we already noticed a difference in gender roles. The boys in the group clearly had entirely different experiences than the girls in the group. The boys were not invited by their families to participate in chores, cooking, and housework, whereas the girls were taught how to peel matooke, crack groundnuts, sweep the compound, wash clothes, clean dishes, etc. The extent of participation the boys experienced was limited to observing processes such as making barkcloth, which is a cloth made from the bark of a tree that is used for arts and crafts, and as a sign of respect during a burial. For the most part, the girls in the group were able to interact with the women in the household whereas the boys were only able to interact with the men. Observations were also made about gender roles within the household; aligned with their cultural standards, women and girls in the family would kneel when greeting people and would eat on the floor apart from the men and guests.

During the reflection session, we opened by asking each group to briefly describe their day with their families and something new they learned. For the most part, people picked up new Ugandan words and phrases, different types of agricultural products, and household skills. We were happy to learn that everyone's initial impressions of their families had changed for the better and over the course of just a few days, people had developed strong relationships with their families. A fun question we asked was about the most interesting members of the families. Many people told stories about rambunctous and mischievous children who were always at the center of attention. When asked about the goals they had in the beginning of the home stay and whether or not they achieved them, people had very positive responses, whether their goals were to form bonds with members in the families or to successfully bathe with a basin of water. Some goals that were not achieved were usually due to the gender divide because the interactions the boys in the group had with women in their families were very limited.

Since we are one of the Water and Sanitation groups, we asked some questions focusing on water usage in the households. Most groups were taken by their families to visit water sources that the households used and some were even able to participate in the collection of water with jerrycans, which proved to be quite a laborious process. Everybody gained a new appreciation of water and awareness of their own habits with water compared to the households. One person spoke about how they realized in their American home, they would leave the faucet running while brushing their teeth, but in Uganda they learned how to conserve water and use it more efficiently.

Everybody had a very successful experience with their home stay families and formed lasting bonds with them. Not only did we all discover new things about Ugandan culture, we also discovered aspects of ourselves that proved to be resilient and adaptable.

Conducted Friday, January 13, 2012.

Water & Sanitation Group 1 Reflection

2012-01-15T12:37:00.000-08:00

We led the group in an open-ended discussion consisting of questions related to our first day in the rural home stay. Stories, shared by all the members (Makerere and JHU students), depicted images of too much food heaped on plates and anxiety over novel living quarters. Interestingly enough, many of the program participants admired the generosity of the host families and stated that they "felt bad for not eating all the food." Furthermore, the discussion sessions concluded with statements of goals that the students wanted to achieve during their village home stay. From establishing long-lasting relationships to surviving a rural home stay, all of the students seemed really determined in making the most out of this experience.

Conducted Tuesday, January 10, 2012

School Service Project

2012-01-14T04:11:00.000-08:00

Today we spent our last morning in the Rakai area painting a mural on a local school. Here's a picture of all of us with some of the students just before we left for Masaka, hot showers, and a goodbye party!

Finishing up our rural stay

2012-01-13T08:46:00.000-08:00

We are close to completing our time in rural Uganda, having been hosted by families near the Rakai Health Sciences Project in Kalisizo. Many thanks to the families, as well as to the staff at RHSP, for their amazing hospitality! The students are scattered around several small villages in the area, so getting the teams together to write and post their blogs has been difficult. Stay tuned though, as more substantive posts will be up in the next few days. In the meantime, we wanted students' family members who may be checking in to know that everyone is doing well. We'll try and get some more photos up soon.

First Reflection

2012-01-09T23:42:00.000-08:00

First Impressions

During our trip the study teams of American and Ugandan students will be asked to conduct reflection sessions on what we are learning and experiencing, then post something about the session to this blog. As we complete our two days of orientation and begin to turn towards our subject matter, the trip leaders conducted the first session about their initial impressions of Uganda, each other, and the trip. We asked them to write something about what they have been experiencing, and we encouraged them to discuss things that made them uncomfortable, as well as those things that surprised them. The subjects they chose to reflect upon were varied, ranging from their impressions of their foreign counterparts, to the structure of activities, to the impact of sudden immersion in a foreign culture, to what struck, them, positively or negatively, about what they have seen so far.

Reading their reflections prompted us to think more about the purposes of study abroad. Our hope is that in addition to learning about Health and Education here in Uganda, they will begin to develop strong bonds with their foreign counterparts, and they will begin to think more deeply about Ugandan culture and society in general. We hope they will be able to apply their experiences to other contexts and continue appreciating cultural differences even in their respective home communities. Lastly, we anticipate that they will be able to learn something about themselves through examining their own reactions to this trip – both the positive and negative ones. We have collected the students' written responses and plan to return to them at the end of the trip to see how their thoughts and perceptions have changed by then.

Here are some excerpts from their written reflections:

• I was thinking that Americans would be reserved, that was just a bad thought. They are very expressive and cooperative guys and ladies. Thanks be to God I got this chance to meet good and interesting people.

• The Americans seemed happy to be around. I loved the cultural night, it was great for me. Americans are friendly and open.

• More welcoming and kind than I would have thought. Came in thinking there would be more hostility or apprehension against Muzungu [whites] because of all the research, colonialism, etc. I saw a little of this in the market but that was a very business, money making environment.

• Wow! What an experience we have had thus far. Throughout this weekend I have continually been reminded of Professor Burnham's remark that only 5% of the population lives in Kampala. I feel like I have seen millions of people and have almost been overwhelmed by observing their daily routines and activities. One thing in particular that has struck me so far is the public nature of daily life. Everything is so open and happens right on the street. As I expected, children roam freely and often without accompaniment.

• My impression of Uganda in general has been almost too overwhelming to put into words. It could be that I've been to developing areas/countries before, but just driving in the city and to and from places have felt somewhat familiar, but also different. It was very unexpected at how much traffic and people and fumes there were in the streets. Also, although I may have expected it, I was very struck by the amount and presence of poverty near the city and when we visited [a band member's] home, even seeing what was on the way to his home.

• The last few days have definitely been packed with activities, and have gone by in no time. They were almost too packed for my liking. I noticed that initially, I am a person who enjoys observing rather than talking, before I feel like I have gotten a "feel" for a situation or an area. If I had structured the last few days myself, I would have probably minted myself to fewer activities, each lasting a longer amount of time. I'm happy that we are on such a fast-track schedule, though, because in a way, life in many ways, especially in the US and Europe is much more like this and fast-paced. Also, this structure is forcing me to find new strategies to take up information faster, rather than sticking to my "observe, then engage" way of encountering new situations.

• I came to Uganda expecting an isolated culture and a not-so-developed landscape that poses health hazards. However, my first impression when meeting the locals and Makerere students was that Ugandan culture was filled with warm greetings and loving, personal gestures. Even my first reaction upon seeing the dusty Ugandan roads mixed with patches of lush vegetation was a daze, as the paths looked rustic and had a magical aura about them, rather than a fearful appearance. Overall, my reactions and impressions of Uganda after entering this beautiful country are much more positive than my previous beliefs.

• At first I was incredibly surprised at the closeness that seemed to be established almost immediately upon meeting the Hopkins students as well as the Makerere students. It surprised me because I rarely have this kind of sentiment with people I have just met; I used to think these kinds of close and genuine relationships could only be formed after knowing a person for a long time.

• Right now I'm honestly not sure how I feel or how I should feel. The first few days in Uganda have been kind of overwhelming -- the immediate cultural immersion has been beyond stimulating. Uganda is definitely not what I expected it to be. My expectations are difficult to express in words, but the scenery, the people and the culture are so different and foreign that they constantly pique my interest. I can already begin to feel as though this experience will shape who I am and ground me with a sense of global and cultural perspective.

• I thought I knew what poverty meant, and I was expecting to experience a familiar environment in Uganda. Although there are some similar aspects between [my country] and Uganda, I was still surprised to see the extent of poverty here, and the bad living conditions in which people live.

• The first meeting was a total surprise. I was happy that I was able to identify my academic theme mates. I too was surprised with the high level of socialization within the American team, thus everyone wanted to speak to me and all the fears about the accent that have vanished (I have been able to cope). I was pleased to find out that many people are from different parts of the world, which I didn't expect in the first place. Very interesting questions were involved and the rate of adaptation was really high. My team surprised me with the high levels of interaction in the market.

• From the very start I was really impressed and touched by the level of hospitality that shown to us by the Ugandans. It was really nice to always be greeted with a smile and a hug. Initially I was thrown off by this because I didn't expect all of the warmth due to the way most Americans interact with foreigners, in a cold and distant way. It really made me realize that while Uganda may still be developing they are much further ahead of the US in many ways. The fact that everyone we came into contact with was warm and invited was truly refreshing and very touching. I hope that I can internalize this and use this as a guide that I will follow through life.

• I did not expect Americans to be social like they are. I had a feeling that Johns Hopkins students would be feelers but am surprised. I expected to incur expenses but surprisingly not. I have come to realize that I am stubborn and talkative. I feel so blessed to interact with people I had never expected to meet. So far I have no expectation that is not met.

• I feel blessed that I am a Ugandan and that I have been given a chance to share the cultural beauty and diversity of my country. For example yesterday during the Ndere cultural presentation the show was very good. It portrayed our cultural diversity -- every song and dance had a story to tell. A story that I could possibly not put in words. I hope the JHU students got it. I hope they see in these various trips and excursions we've made and are yet to make the spirit of Uganda.

• I have kept wondering what these two weeks would be like, at least I knew it wouldn't be about Children and HIV only, though I still did not know what else; I tell myself, "just have fun." I am impressed we have other interests in culture, family of late. I hope HIV will come into the picture after Rakai.

• My impression of Americans was that they wouldn't want to be so close to us, like share bedrooms with us and everything else, but that's not the case, actually they are really nice people and so curious, they are open to us and can ask about anything so that's great. I think if they were to stay longer, it wouldn't be a bad idea, it would be more interesting and I for one would like them to visit my family.

• I tried to have as few expectations as I possibly could so that I could take first impressions in with a positive attitude as soon as I could. One situation where I did have an expectation was at the Owino market because I have been to several markets before and had a mental picture of how I thought it would be. But I could never have expected what was to come. I thought the experience of the market was one of the most chaotic, crazy and ridiculous experiences of my life. I have never had my personal space invaded so much or had so much sensory overload. I'm so glad I had this eye-opening experience, though because it was so far from anything familiar, and that is one of my bigger goals during this journey: to be exposed to unfamiliar experiences and assess how I deal with them, and reflect on what I can improve on and deal with well.

• How nice everyone is, how crowded, how much stuff they are selling, how many babies and toddlers, good food, drivers are crazy. I was surprised at how crowded Kampala was. I know the population growth rate was through the roof, but it was unbelievable to see the amount of people, especially the amount of babies and toddlers. It was also crazy to see how many stores there were. It seemed like everyone was selling something. Kampala made me think of New York City in a developing country.

• While we rode from Entebbe to the Ndere Center, I was a little surprised by the landscape. The shell of charcoal or singed hair and smoke hit me and [a colleague] said she loved it. But it seemed to choke me. And at the same time, it reminded me of the fresh warmth of a furnace burning ash and oak. Stoking that furnace had been my chore in Vermont when I spent a semester studying on a farm. I had seen Museveni's face plastered to pillars outside Entebbe airport, and again on billboards along the road. The sky was not dark, as I'd expected, stars were not too numerous, and the single road was not bumpy or rugged like the BMAs (Bloody Miles of Africa) Gilbert had described.

Pictures from Day Two

2012-01-08T20:59:00.000-08:00

Photos from day two:

We awoke to a misty day

Getting ready to leave

Discussions with Ugandan youth

They got animated at times

And funny.

Dance lessons from the Toruwu (Training of Rural Women in Uganda) dancers

Eventually we all got into the act

We received a tour of the neighborhood and a jackfruit

The Toruwu Brass Band paraded us out of town

In Uganda there is nothing that can't be transported on the back of a boda-boda

Some early pictures

2012-01-08T20:45:00.000-08:00

Internet access is scarce, but we will try and get photos up when we can. Here are some from Day One.

Breakfast in the courtyard.

Meeting with our Ugandan counterparts

Building study teams

More team building

Arrived and kicking

2012-01-07T04:59:00.000-08:00

Just a quick post to let all interested parties know that we arrived in Entebbe last night, made it to Ndere close to 1am, ate the delicious dinner they had prepared for us, and went to bed. This morning we met our counterparts from Makerere and went off to Owino Market. All is well ...

AND THEN TOUCH DOWN

2012-01-05T22:57:00.000-08:00

We eagerly waited for these guy,and here they are finally. YOU ARE WELCOME TO THE PEARL OF AFRICA. Kick out the fear,the worries and of course the pills as well. No one has to feel the 'unwanted citizen' here. Surely its going to be an exciting three weeks for us too as we share the true Ugandan experience with the JHU guys.

Good NIght

2012-01-05T08:54:00.001-08:00

I just kissed the family goodnight, via Skype. It now feels real, as if the last 2 months of medical shots, fiscal re-arranging, and luggage logistics were mere drills for something long away. I am leaving for Uganda with a great group to experience a culture, my people, and to define social entrepreneurship. The trainings alone have been insightful. I jotted down a couple of activities that I will taking to the after school program I am part of (thanks Daniella and Prof. Rice). May we all have an enriching, fulfilling, and safe experience in Uganda.

Bye Bye America!

2012-01-05T08:21:00.001-08:00

I rush in a hurry to pack all my belongings (which isn't much) from my room in Hopkins Inn, looking at each item and deciding whether to put it in my carry-on purse for the flight or to leave it with my friend. I sip a cup of coffee for the last time, considering the questionable safety of dairy products there. Though I'm a little nervous about leaving my American comforts behind, I am still overenthusiastic about entering a country filled with a unique political history as well as culture. Furthermore, Uganda is filled with so many opportunities to not only be improved but also to grow as a beautiful country. Just yesterday, on a lecture of history, culture, and politics, the speaker told us about the recent discovery of oil deposits around Lake Albert. In today's world, oil deposits such as those just discovered are highly desired. Though the lecturer indicated that he wasn't quite sure about the future implications of this discovery, I couldn't help but think that this new finding would set up a complex struggle between locals and the government, one in which maybe the youth of Uganda would have an active role in.

Out of all the groups of people I have so far read about, the youth especially seem to catch my eye. Though there are high drop out rates and education there doesn't seem to portray a direct link to employment, the youth have such vigor. Interestingly enough, the majority of youth practice citizenship almost yearly, voting at almost every time elections are held, despite the fact that the votes might even be counted in a way to ensure that the current president stays in power ("In Africa, our presidents overstay"- common saying of politics). This segment of people, regardless of the hardships of finding employment and finding health services that cater to their needs, are out to make a better future. Considering that Uganda, unlike that of the United States, has a young population (majority of the citizens are under 30 years old), this energy and passion of youth shed positive light as to how Uganda can be lifted from its current economic and social status.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPazLbeYKF0

This is a popular Ugandan song that talks about the vigor of a long neglected ethnic group in Uganda, the Acholi.

Until my next post, wish me luck :)

THE COUNTDOWN

2012-01-05T02:50:00.000-08:00

After a somewhat long wait, I mean from months to weeks to days and now just hours. It’s just hard to believe that the time is almost ripe for me to meet these new colleagues from JHU.

Just looking forward to meeting you guys and I just know this is going to be one of my most enjoyable times in Uganda. I just can’t wait to say Welcome to Uganda, this beautiful and peaceful county. I can’t wait to see you speaking luganda or any other Ugandan local language, enjoying the local dishes here, dancing to our local music and adjusting to our settings. see you guys.

It’s going to be great!

For the moment I just need to wish you a safe journey to Uganda, the land of beauty.

Pre-departure photo

2012-01-04T09:53:00.000-08:00

Pre-Departure Excitement

2012-01-04T04:05:00.000-08:00

Especially after our orientation at Lexington Market yesterday, I'm excited for our trip to Uganda. Not only cant I wait to see parts of Uganda, but I'm also looking forward to reflecting on my own reactions towards what I see, reflecting on other people's reactions, to hopefully grow as a person.

One of the main reasons I am so excited about this trip is because we are traveling as a group of university students and will be in a university setting for part of our stay, a lens through which I have not yet experienced an African nation. I am especially looking forward to our Skype conversation with our Makarere student later today, and to finally meet our Ugandan counterparts on Friday. The theme focus-groups, matching two Hopkins students with one Makarere student is the aspect of the trip that has really drawn me in, as we will hopefully be able to exchange a local and our own perspective on the sights we see, that allows us to gain a more balanced understanding of the local situation, while building lasting relationships with our Ugandan partners.

This trip will be successful. I know it.

Late Night Packing and Pondering

2012-01-04T00:20:00.000-08:00

It almost seems fitting that it would snow on the first day of our orientation for a three week stay in Uganda. It feels really strange to be packing my suitcase again after I unpacked it just three days ago, but that's the life of jet-setting college student. While I told myself that I would leave lots of room in my suitcase, it seems that it is fuller now than it was when i came home from winter break. I am glad to say that the greatest amount of the bulk are presents for my host family and an over sized sleeping bag. Hopefully by the time the rural home-stay in Rakai comes to a close I'll have more space in suitcase for all of the souvenirs that I hope to bring back home with me.
As far as the pre-departure orientation goes, I am truly excited to be working with this group of students. We all come from different walks of life and I already can see that everyone has many different things to offer on the trip. I have made some friends already from this first day, and cannot wait to get to know the rest of the students from JHU and MU. Today's exercises really helped to put me in the right mind-set for traveling to Uganda. I hope that I can remember to leave judgement behind and just embrace all that I can while one the trip.
Now that I am finished packing and quickly running out of coherent sentences, I will end my post here as I take the very first of my anti-malarial pills. Only two more days til this adventure begins! I can't wait!

Reflection before our trip to Uganda

2012-01-03T23:20:00.000-08:00

It quite hasn’t hit me yet that we’re leaving for Uganda in less than two days. I had just unpacked my suitcase after flying in from home last night, only to be packing again for a three-week journey that will surely blow my mind. While I do have some fears about this trip, I just pray that whatever happens will only help me to grow as a person. I think my mind has been more occupied by goals and hopes that I have for this trip. Especially after we separated into our groups to discuss our specific themes, I am ever more excited and eager to really dive into and learn more about a topic that is of the greatest interest to me, particularly career-wise. I am also looking forward to experiencing first-hand a different culture, which is scary but awesome at the same time. More specifically, I hope to see and better understand child health and development outside of what I’ve learned and seen in formal settings. I also hope that through this trip, I will feel less distant to the children and people in Uganda who are in need, when I hear statistics or watch commercials about them. It will also be very interesting to see the similarities and differences in the urban versus rural settings, as well as when we come back to Baltimore. Just from the orientation, it will indeed be a challenge to observe and critically think about my observations, but I hope it will become easier with practice and time. Last but not least, I am excited to start, what I hope to be, a lasting relationship with our Ugandan peers.

Opening Reflections

2012-01-03T20:59:00.000-08:00

As I prepare for my final semester at Hopkins, I realize that this trip represents a pretty radical departure from my career as an undergraduate. I've had an interesting mixture of science, public health, and film studies courses, but I've stayed geographically close to home. As I choose a place for each gift for my host family members (sisters, brothers, parents?), try to find a spot for an oversized sleeping bag, and stash anti-malarials and a CDC yellow fever card, the enormity of the journey strikes me. I have looked forward to this trip for a long time, as it will be my first to a developing country and last opportunity to study abroad as an undergraduate. What I had not expected was to feel such a deep connection to my peers and collaborators so early in the program. I'm really impressed by the thoughts, insights and reactions articulated by everybody today. I think that this trip has attracted a really fascinating mix of people — those who are analytical and diligent, yet empathetic and appreciative, interested in understanding peoples, behaviors, and cultures in context.

My dad is watching the Iowa caucus on C-SPAN now. He's infuriated by the lack of "substantive conversation." My obese cat Boots threatens to scale the table and devour leftovers. My suitcase is heavier than I had hoped. The amount of stuff seems excessive, even though I've boiled it down to the essentials. Today was kind of dream-like, maybe because of the brief snow, or maybe because this is like the vigil before a great pilgrimage. There will undoubtedly be much substantive conversation, which will hopefully get us through the challenges.

All these pills?

2012-01-03T20:42:00.000-08:00

Just as we discussed about some of the goals we hope to achieve and the expectations of our experience in Uganda, we had the opportunity to share some of our fears. It is safe to assume that most of us are afraid of becoming sick at some point during our trip. Personally, this fear grew in me before coming back to Baltimore last night, when my parents gave me a big black bag containing a considerable amount of medicines. As soon as my father started showing me all different pills he wanted me to take, a lot of questions raised in my head: Are my parents being over-protective? What if they are not? Will I actually need to take all these medicines? Will I actually be in a situation in which I have to use them? I understood that they want me to be prepared for anything, but honestly, receiving all those pills made me contemplate the high chances of getting sick.
Although I had a bad feeling about all these medicines, this situation reminded me that our parents want the best for us, and they will do anything to take care of us, even if we are half a world apart, and even if they know that we will receive care in Rakai and Kampala.

Reflections

2012-01-03T19:42:00.000-08:00

The orientation activities thus far have allowed me to generate different perspectives on what my goals should be for the trip. Initially, I was interested in this trip because I wanted to further my knowledge about children, health, and education in an underdeveloped country, to fulfill a life dream of going to Africa, and to grow personally. While these still hold true, after the orientation activities, my new goals are to understand Ugandan culture in a more objective and non-judgmental way while simultaneously trying to immerse myself, and understanding my strengths and weaknesses when attempting this. After today’s activities I realized I have to make a conscious effort to make sure I separate judgments from observations, so my expectation is that people will (hopefully) be patient while I try to accomplish this goal. My fear is still that I will get sick.

Reflections

2012-01-03T19:16:00.000-08:00

During some last minute gift shopping for my host family, I realized I don’t know anything about them. How old are the kids? Am I accidentally buying a doll for a sixteen year-old boy? As I put the doll back on the shelf and looked for some more gender-neutral gifts, I found that I could hardly contain my excitement. I can’t wait to Skype with my Ugandan partner tomorrow, provided all goes smoothly. I can’t wait to step off the plane in Uganda after waiting for three months. I can’t wait to meet my host family and show them photos of my own family and see children play with the toys I’m bringing. However, my anticipation does not only apply to the social aspects of the trip. I am also excited for the opportunity to combine the knowledge of public health I have gained in the classroom back at Johns Hopkins with the skills I will be acquiring in Uganda through an independent study project as well as a service project in the homestay village. Today’s exercise in Lexington Market has already begun to teach me how to discard my preconceived notions and observe with an open mind. I look forward to expanding upon these exercises in a completely foreign setting while forming lasting relationships.

Reflections before leaving for Uganda

2012-01-03T18:33:00.000-08:00

It doesn't really seem real that I will be in Uganda in less than three days. I have been trying to mentally prepare myself for the culture shock that is soon to come by reading recent articles about Uganda and google imaging "Rakai village" and "Kampala" but even these images seem insufficient in easing my uncertainty about the experience. However, it is true that this experience will definitely be a culture shock in all sense of the word. Throughout orientation today, I realized how much I am looking forward to this cross-cultural exchange that is about to happen. There is definitely something fresh and exciting in learning about new cultures, and in understanding how the interaction between the people and their culture makes a functional society. I hope I can learn much about the Ugandan culture in the three weeks that we'll be there. The one aspect of the program that I am really excited about is getting to experience both the rural and urban cultures; hopefully I can be observant enough to discover important differences between these two. During the pre-orientation trip to the Lexington Market, being observant proved to be extremely useful in understanding interactions between people eating at the Market. Hopefully, it will be even more useful in understanding Ugandan culture. Finally, I am really excited to start working with my Ugandan peers and develop international relationships. Even though this interaction is only initially based on my interest in maternal health, I hope it will develop into something more substantial.

Uganda, here I come!

2012-01-03T17:57:00.000-08:00

As I briefly glance through the various readings listed on the syllabus and the heavy IYF pamphlet, I can't help but wonder if I will feel like an unwanted citizen there. Regardless of my knowledge about the public health issues in Uganda, I remain modest about my abilities to become an assimilated foreigner. Based on my observational experience at Lexington Market, I realize that my skills of "seeing the picture before me" are clouded by my previous conceptions, making it hard for me to adapt new ways of thinking. My expectation on this trip revolves around sharpening my skills as a student, learning to adjust to a complex and changing environment. My fear in taking this cultural journey into the "unknown" centers on not acquiring enough knowledge to admire Uganda's beauty through the perspective of its own citizens.

Almost there...

2012-01-03T17:55:00.000-08:00

Woah, so this is actually happening. The reality of travelling to Uganda and being immersed in a new and completely foreign culture is finally beginning to set it. I don’t think it will fully “hit me” until I take my first steps on Ugandan ground, but the prospect of the experiences I am about to undergo is more than stimulating enough. I’ve always imagined going to an exotic country, observing their society and studying something—whether it was in the ream of public health, architecture, or anthropology, I wasn’t sure—but I never thought it would happen this soon. As each day – hour – minute – passes I am ever closer to embarking on a journey with 13 near-strangers that I know I will remember for a lifetime. A feeling of nervousness, excitement, worry, and happiness is flowing through my bloodstream as the idea of turning those near-strangers into good friends, fostering bonds with students in Africa, and creating memories that I’ll never forget pulses through my mind. Only one more day of orientation and a long day of travel to go until everything really begins to get real.

goals fears and expectations

2012-01-03T17:40:00.000-08:00

For the upcoming trip, I have a few goals, fears and expectations. First of all, I hope to create long-lasting bonds with the Ugandan peers, my host family and organizations or groups that we meet. I would love to be able to keep in touch with many new people long after the trip to continuously learn from them. Also, I fear that I may not get a long with my host family or have a bad experience in the rural area. However, as apart of my expectations, I anticipate that everything will not go as planned or as smoothly as the itinerary may plan. Despite this, I also expect to gain a lot of experience and be inspired by the entirely new environment that I will be immersed in.

Reflection: Orientation Day 1

2012-01-03T17:36:00.000-08:00

At just under 48 hours before we depart for Uganda, the reality of the trip is really beginning to hit me. Since October, I have been telling family and friends about our upcoming trip, but I do not think that I grasped the full significance until our first day of orientation today. I appreciated that each of our orientation exercises today were meaningful and helpful, and I think that the "hope, fear, and expectation" exercise this morning really set the tone for the rest of the day's activities. During this activity, I was particularly struck by the comment that our most memorable learning experiences may actually come from the unexpected circumstances or obstacles that we may encounter. Overall today, I gained the most insight into myself and my judgments from the lunchtime exercise in Lexington Market. I have always thought of myself as an observant person, but until today, I never realized how much of what I thought were simple observations were actually significant judgments. I am looking forward to the parallel activity in Kampala's market on Saturday. Now I must return to packing so that I am prepared for all of the adventures that this trip to Uganda will bring!

A photo from the planning trip in October

2012-01-02T14:23:00.000-08:00

Children in a village near Rakai.

Test

2012-01-02T14:16:00.000-08:00

Hello! This will be the location for blog posts by students on the JHU Uganda intersession class in January 2012.