Every day here is an adventure. Every day I’m surprised.
Every day I learn something new. Looking back I don’t remember what projects I worked on each day, but I
remember lessons I’ve learned. I’ve spent many of the days these last 3 weeks
living with Africans like an African. Cultural differences prevent me from
accurately describing what it’s like here. I think in the US we think of Africa
as a sad place full of sickness and poverty- but it’s not. The people here must
be the happiest on Earth.
Three weekends ago we were invited to a friend's birthday party. Celebrating Birthdays is uncommon here, but David was wealthy enough to have friends and family over. I think we were the only sober group there. The next morning I got up early with his sons to hike the tallest mountain in Bududa. On top we could look down on Kenya. The views were incredible, but the people living on the mountain were more incredible. The whole hike we were able to eat wild fruits and other fruits given to us from locals. The fruits didn't even have names in English.
Two weeks ago I stayed at a community called Zion. I don't think I slept at all. The adults in the community have been difficult to work with, but the children are eager to learn. The children made the visit worth it.
A place where I slept even less than Zion was on top of Mount Wanale. But it was worth it. On top I felt like I could see the whole world.
I've also spent other free nights working in the Maternity ward at Health Center 4 in Buseu. I've gotten to do plenty of vaginal exams but no deliveries yet. Perhaps next week. (picture is of baby James born at 12:30 today)
Although spending nights with friends has been fun, the days have still been productive. Since the beginning of my trip I've worked towards opening a clinic in a town called Kabwangasi. Finding staff, choosing a building, deciding on medications, and doing calculations to make sure it's sustainable have taken most of my free time. Before we opened, patients were already lining up outside. Life Care Medical Center is one of only two clinics in the whole area. Why open one where there's already health care? The other clinic is a government clinic. Government clinics do the best they can, but because of high demand for free health care, they are often understaffed and out of supplies. Because of the high demand patients offer money to be seen first- the more wealthy people are seen earlier, and the poorest people often die waiting in line. By charging a 3000 UGX consult fee (instead of free health care) we're able to make sure everyone is treated equally while also keeping the clinic sustainable. I'll post more pictures next week after our malaria testing outreach.
Working at different health centers has been fun, helping with dental and eye surgeries has been fun, and opening my own clinic has been fun. But my favorite project has been just painting a mural at one of the secondary schools in town. Often my projects keep me busy- too busy to really bond with the students and patients- but this project has been different. For 12 days I spent all day from 7am to 7pm standing on a chair to paint anatomy charts for the future medical students at this school. Of course I've been friends with many of the students since the first day, but being around for so long has built real friendships. The types of friends that I'll visit again when I come next year. They've opened up to me and I've been able to have a unique view of the culture that I think many volunteers have missed. I've been able to ask them about African things I don't understand, and they've been able to ask me about American culture. Having to answer simple questions about why Americans act the way they do has opened my eyes to the way other countries view the United States.
I'll admit, I don't really like Obama, but when I first came here I appreciated him simply because of what he meant to the Africans. When Obama went to Kenya and asked them to be more accepting of gays, those views changed. Homosexuality is such a hot topic here that I'm not supposed to talk to Africans about it at all, but when my students ask me to explain, I can't refuse. This week a friend came to ask me why would God let someone like Museveni be president- a man who, in his opinion, shouldn't have been put in power. This led to questions about why God would let someone like Obama be in power when he clearly supports things that God doesn't support. I think it comes down to agency. Although Museveni has done a lot of horrible things, he's also done a lot of good for Uganda. I think Obama has made a lot of stupid decisions, but overall the economy has improved. Perhaps both have abused their power, but they have the agency to do so. It's sad to see that the Africans who used to love Obama are now doubting him. It reminds me of a little brother idolizing a big brother until they realize he's as flawed and human as everyone else. I wish Obama knew the affects he had on even my students here in Uganda. I wish Museveni and the other leaders understood what a difference they could make for their country if they just made up their minds to. And me, I realized that I'm a leader. And in reality, everyone is a leader at some point. So, lets act like leaders.
