The title of this post has two meanings: One, I am wrapping up this blog because I am moving back to the US in a few days. I haven't posted for about three weeks, so I have lots to share. The second meaning is a bit of a joke regarding all the NGOs that operate in Uganda, and Kampala in particular. In a moment of cynicism my roommates and I decided to "start" a fake-NGO, utilizing the acronyms, stock messages, and ambiguous donor language that we observe here all the time (not to say that some of these NGOs don't do critical work--they definitely do.) The final product: L'WRAP-U or, Lil' Wayne's Repository for AIDS Prevention Uganda (there we go, now Lil' Wayne can officially come up as a search item in this blog! Thank goodness!) The tag-line of our innovative faux-NGO: Wrap It Up. Hence, the title. Ok, now on to more important things.
My last week of work was meant to be fairly uneventful. I purposely wrapped up (ha ha) most of my projects ahead of time, thinking my last week could be dedicated to goodbyes and finishing up any last minute paperwork. But, if there is anything I have learned by working in Uganda it is that nothing ever goes as planned. I showed up to work my last week and it was announced that we would be doing "general office cleaning" and that meant completely cleaning out, organizing, and cataloging the resource center and all files in the office. My office collects paper copies of nearly everything--binders filled with printed out emails, as I imagine some offices in the US might have done in the very early days of emails, and every newsletter or brochure ever received from other organizations (and trust me, dozens of trees were killed for this purpose). It was an exhausting week full of manual labor. But, it was great to help out in this manner because, unlike some of my other projects, we could all see the tangible benefit of this one: a cleaner, more efficient office space!
Saying goodbye to my coworkers was sad, but made easier when my direct supervisor informed me that I was "a great medical professional." So, I guess as long as I am counting my successes and failures (maybe not counting, but considering anyway) I can say that I really struggle with how to represent public health, what I do, what I can do, and what I want to do. Any tips would be great, as I will be an MPH soon enough (and no, I can't take your blood pressure/prescribe you medicine/or tell you what that funny cough you have is [but it's probably TB, so go to the clinic already!]). For the record, my coworkers know that I am not a doctor, and I think my supervisor was making a joke! Well, I hope so anyway. I am happy to call many of my coworkers very good friends.
I will really miss my coworkers because they were all dedicated, intelligent, and fascinating people. I loved getting to know each of them and learning about Uganda through them. I also learned so much about development, the donor-beneficiary relationship, public health systems, and how small, grass-roots NGOs operate.
World AIDS Day
On Thursday, December 2nd Uganda celebrated World AIDS Day. My organization sent me as a representative to the national event in Kololo (a neighborhood in Kampala). The event was really cool: dozens of organizations set up booths doing everything from condom demonstrations, to original songs and dances about HIV. There was a lot of testing and counseling happening as well, which was great to see. Although Uganda is currently lagging a bit in HIV prevention strategies, the overall culture surrounding HIV is very open and honest, which just might be their saving grace in the long run. In contrast, in my experience living in South Africa I found the culture surrounding HIV to be secretive, deeply stigmatized, with responses driven by fear and blame. Hopefully Uganda's openness and previously good record in dealing with HIV will propel it into further successes. I hope so, anyway.
My experience with events like World AIDS Day, is that they can sometimes be a bit... superficial. This one proved no different. Still, it was a really educational for me to see all the various organizations working on different aspects of HIV: prevention and education, testing and counseling, awareness raising, treatment, health systems strengthening, improving lab services, and on and on. It also showed just how prevalent HIV is in just about every other health and non-health related sector. I guess this is either demonstrative of how pervasive HIV is or how every sector wants a piece of HIV for financial purposes. Either way, HIV bisects maternal and child health, education, TB treatment, disability, gender, sex work, human rights, and on and on.
Vacation
My mom came to visit me in Uganda! I was so excited that my mom showed enough bravery and interest in my life and work that she wanted to visit and see what this place was all about. She came in on a Friday and we spent the weekend in Kampala. I took her all over the chaos of downtown, to several markets, the the Bahai Temple, and a cultural dance performance. She got to meet and share meals with my friends and roommates, and generally see what my life is like here. Then we took the post bus to Kabale where we relaxed on the beautiful Lake Bunyonyi. From there we took some dodgy transportation (thanks for being such a good sport about African public transport, Mom!) to the border with Rwanda where we crossed over and made our way to Kigali. Kigali, Rwanda was a fascinating city and such a contrast to Kampala! My mom endured my endless comparisons between the two, but I eventually came to the conclusion that I like Kampala better. Kigali may be clean, orderly, safe, functional, and polite, but Kampala is home.
After Rwanda we flew to Nairobi, Kenya where we did a 3 day safari in Masai Mara. It was really fun to see lots of animals and the beautiful scenery. From there we continued the safari to Tanzania where we visited Tarangire, Lake Manyara, and the Ngorongoro Crater (this one was my favorite). Although the safari was a bit long, we enjoyed ourselves. It was very interesting to experience east Africa as a tourist. I MUCH prefer the resident perspective.
Parting Words
I will probably post one more time with pictures, but content-wise I think that about wraps it up! I am back "home" in Kampala for a few days, saying more goodbyes, and I will be on a plane going west in just a few days.
Every piece of this experience--from my short jaunt up in northern Uganda, to my many trips to the field in rural parts of Uganda, to my daily interactions with co-workers turned friends, and to my relaxing weekends soaking up Kampala's ex-pat scene--have been meaningful and essential. I come out of this more dedicated, more committed, and more excited about my future working towards social justice through public health. I also come out of this more troubled by the burden of finding the most responsible and appropriate venues for action.
I am realizing that "doing good" is not enough. It never will be. It's been an amazing, humbling 7 months.
Until next time, Marta
