CRO – Nightlights (Chelsea)

Like many things in Uganda, CRO is a bittersweet experience.  It is amazing to see the light that shines out of these sometimes rough and tough little packages.  Since Jesse’s first post about CRO, the grounds have installed a playground outfitted with 2 swings, a little slide and a see-saw.  It’s amazing to see these kids taking turns and pushing each other on the swings without an adult prompting them or supervising them in anyway.  It is even more amazing in light of the fact that a bunch of the same kids jumped 2 other children for the scrap metal they were collecting. Children collect scrap metal as a means of earning money 1 kg = 200ush (less than 10 cents). The light and dark of their reality is hard to imagine. It hurts to think about and it’s painful to see.

 I’m not sure if the other students experience is at all similar to mine, but the realities of this place…. they are… what I can only call tragic injustices and they leave a dull ache in the middle of my chest, that doesn't seem to want to go away.  They are unsettling and tear at what I consider to be my core values and expectations of humanity.  It is hard to take that step and remind yourself that this is just how it is here. Because when it comes down to it the people here would change it in a heartbeat if it where only that simple. But its not and its hard. What is scary is that I know that I have not seen the worst of it. 

For me life here is like two very different sides of a coin. There is a side that is dark, shadowed and tarnished; where it seems that so much life is lost, wasted, and judged to be worthless.   BUT… and there is a but.  There is the other side where there is light, joy, kindness, hope, humanity and so many lessons about community and faith. Unfortunately, as positive as this side is it can be easily overpowered by the darkness and weight of its brother.  It’s a difficult balance to stay focused on the light. Yet avoiding and ignoring the darkness is avoiding reality. It can leave you torn, guilty and hopeless. Solutions seem to disappear in the enormous shadow of so many obstacles. It is easy to lose faith and motivation in this darkness (and we do see it here in some people).  BUT (again there is a but)  it is important not to forget the light and the people who live and radiate light.  They are here and they are shockingly resilient.  They see the dark and still strive to learn, change and overcome all these obstacles. They are like those nightlights your parents plug in when you are little and are afraid of the dark and can't see where you are going.

At CRO I have been able to sit through a couple of insightful discussions with the children, where the staff are tending to that light of resiliency in the children.  I know as a helping professional we are taught the preciousness of awareness.  Awareness and insight is necessary for problem solving and finding solutions.  You cannot attempt to solve problems that you don’t understand or know exist.  So, it was interesting to see the teachers and social workers at CRO work through a discussion about drug use with the kids. After listing the drugs/alcohol they used/knew about, the children listed reasons why children/people use: 

To forget/escape, Peer pressure, To feel warm, To not be hungry,  Alcohol is part of the culture/ceremony, To be able to express my feelings (wow…), To be strong, To be brave,  To increase sexual prowess,  Because it feels good… were all on their list.  

I was impressed by the insight and knowledge of the children, the leadership and skill of the staff and the simple fact that they were doing such a progressive and practical exercise with the children. The second discussion I was able to witness had to do with why children did not want to be resettled, why children dropped out of formal school and potential solutions (unfortunately the children but did not finish this part because it was lunch time). The following were things they came up with:

-Death of parents (HIV/Aids), abuse from step parents*,  desire to make money, enjoy the good life on the street, and grasshopper season* are a few of the former that I can remember (there were more).

-lack of school fees, and being scared of teachers/beatings are the only two of the latter that I can remember (there were more).

 I put asterisks beside two of the reasons children came up with why they remained on the street.  Probably the strangest (to those of you who have not been to Uganda) is that grasshoppers and the fact that Maska has grasshopper seasons are actually very influential in the number of children who live on the street. The key is that Ugandans (except for one tribe) eat grasshoppers.  They are cleaned (I am not writing what this entails for the sake of those of you with weak stomachs.  If you are interested you will have to ask) and generally eaten fried (sometimes raw).  According to the locals they are considered special treats and are incredibly tasty (I’ve has one… they are ok… as long as you don’t think about what your eating).  They are very expensive at the beginning of seasons when demand is high and supply is low (Welcome to Hopper 101: Introduction to Grasshopper Economics).  So children from villages (where both poverty and number of children in a family is highest) flock to Maska to earn money catching and cleaning grasshoppers during the season.  There are incredible set ups to these grasshopper operations (oh wow such as tangent) that  are set up at night in open fields and roof tops, with barrels, bright lights, smoke and corrugated aluminum.  I’ll let you all try to figure out how those ingredients make a grasshopper catcher (I need to get back on track).   We have some amazing pictures that we can post after some guessing takes place (unless someone has beat me and posted them on Facebook already).

The other reason why children do NOT want to be resettled back in their homes that I highlighted was abuse from step parents.  This is incredibly common and is the most referenced reason I have heard about why children end up on the street.  I’ve had in-depth conversations with a couple Ugandans about the general abuse and neglect children experience from their step parents (some of it includes witchcraft and curses- which is very alive in mainstream belief systems) as well as one individual’s own personal experience as a loving step parent (which I’m told is very rare) and another’s experience about having to be very up front  and even strict to their new partner about caring for their children from previous relationship (or else they would leave).

I want to close by talking about another set of nightlights (to use and abuse my earlier metaphor) that CRO is involved with.  It is a women’s group who meet every Thursday to talk to the social workers and nurse from CRO with the purpose of learning and supporting their children and community (for those of you familiar with the 2010 blog I believe Adrianna wrote about her experience meeting with them and talking about Fetal Alcohol Syndrome).  As in the African way the meeting started late but, Jesse and I were able to meet with them, learn about the things that they are doing in the community (craft clubs, animal husbandry etc) and talk to them about Epilepsy.  What is it (a brain injury- that has to do with electrical misfiring in the brain); What it’s not (a bug, curse or contagious); Identifying different types of seizures in children (you don’t always fall); Potential causes and the importance of getting treatment (untreated seizures can lead to increase brain damage and even mental retardation); That it can be treated, managed and even eventually cured(with medication) and; What to do and not to do when someone is having a seizure (dispelling incorrect beliefs and giving instructions for general first aid procedures). As always we felt incredibly welcomed and the information was extremely well received.  It is interactions and observations of people like these that help me focus on the light through all the shadows. I am grateful for my African Nightlights.

Until next time. Love Always...

A new understanding of abundance and gratitude (Chera)

Lorna and I took a trip to Kampala last weekend. It was nice to get out and explore a bit of the surrounding area..admittedly, I was very excited about spending some time in a major city…A city offering a variety of food, real coffee, and a hot shower. After a 3 hour mutatu ride we were there, dropped off in the heart of the city where I can only describe as absolute chaos. After a bit of negotiating for a fair price, Lorna and I hopped on a boda boda (motorcycle) to get to our hotel. An adventure indeed! There are no rules to the traffic, and my driver went full speed ahead swerving in between cars, vans, and other boda bodas..I could feel them brush up against my legs as we passed by. All I could think was “Thank God I’m wearing a helmet”, something most people do not do around here. Thankfully we made it in one piece. After checking into our hotel, we went for a walk..passing by many restaurants and cafes, we found one that served hamburgers, fries, and various fast foods. We had to stop and eat. And then we ordered ice cream …and then later that night we had Indian food! It was truly a luxury and by realizing that it was, I began to understand how much I take for granted. We have such a huge variety of food in Canada. We can walk down the street and have our pick of restaurants serving foods inspired from around the world. I never realized how fortunate we are to have all this. In Masaka, most people farm their own food and eat pretty much the same thing everyday. They are so thankful and proud of the food they have. I have thought about this a lot while I’ve been here actually. I feel ashamed for being challenged by the lack of food variety. And even though I enjoyed the food I ate that night in Kampala, I also felt guilty and undeserving when I thought about it later. We have so much. Way more than we need..I’m beginning to understand this now more than ever.

On Saturday, Lorna started to feel ill. Ill is an understatement actually..she got really sick with what we thought was a bad stomach flu (I had one the week prior). When we returned from Kampala, Lorna visited the clinic to find out she had malaria! She was immediately sent to the hospital where she spent two nights hooked up to IV meds. I’m happy to say she is feeling a lot better now, but what a scary experience to go through. Kayla is recovering from Malaria as well..I can’t help but wonder who’s next. Malaria is a big problem here..It disables and/or kills children and malnourished people every day. As mazungus (white people), our immune systems are generally healthy and we’re able to access good medical attention here. Malaria causes a horrible sickness but it is not life threatening to us. Again, a bi product of the privileged society we come from.

This was the last week for many children at Anaweza. Most will be going back to school on Monday. The week was action packed..I led the “Let your Light Shine” talents and skills show on Monday. We had a community outreach day on Tuesday, and I led a girls self esteem group/art project on Wednesday. We also had a group from an organization called TASO come and do a drama presentation about HIV/AIDS prevention. Yesterday (Saturday) Anaweza held a “Social Day” where the parents/caregivers were invited to the centre to see the children perform and demonstrate some of the skills and talents they learned while at Anaweza. Lorna and Jesse came out for it as wellJ It was amazing..the kids cooked up a storm and sold the food as a fundraiser, they sold their woven bags, they sang, and put on dance and drama performances. They are all so incredibly talented! I could hardly believe that it was the last day I would see most of the kids. It took Melissa and I a long time to leave that day. We had so many children to hug before we left. The amount of gratitude I felt as I was leaving was enormous. I have learned so much from them and have received so much love. From day one they opened their hearts to us & welcomed us as part of their family..I am inspired and forever grateful.
Love,
Chera

Ward 14 (Jesse)

This post is from May 10.  It somehow vanished without a trace, so I have somewhat updated and reposted:

Its funny how wonder fades to routine.  The excitement and anxiety leading up to this trip has largely faded to the challenge of actual work in a foreign place.  When we arrived, people literally sang out in welcome to us.  While the greeting of "you are welcome" is still standard and still catches me pleasantly off guard, it has blended into our day to day here, as have the boda rides, the extremely gnarly roads, the smell of meat hanging in the sunshine, and the long life milk that sits in my humid room all day and doesn't go bad (still don't get it-what do you mean long life and no preservatives or additives!) .  The cultural differences we are so struck in wonder by initially also slowly give way to the challenges of working so far away from home.  All the anxieties and challenges of working in a mental health setting are with me here; relating to marginalized populations as a middle class white guy is a challenge at the best of times, doing it in Africa when you don't speak the language magnifies this factor by about a zillion.  I am speaking of where Chelsea and I are placed for the first three days of our work weeks, which is the mental health ward at Masaka Regional Referral Hospital.

The first time we visited the ward, the first thing that struck me was all the people lined up against the wall on benches.  Everyone seemed to be dressed exquisitely, as though for a special occasion.  It turns out these are the outpatients, who often times have made the sometimes very long journey from the villages, often on foot. They have come to consult with the clincal officers (there is no full time doctor on the ward) who briefly counsel the patients and update their medication scripts.  Each visitor to the ward carries a flimsy paperback notebook, usually tattered and repaired, which serves as an outpatient file and a prescription pad.  The clinical officers write file notes and update the medication script which the patient then brings to the window of the medication room where the nursing staff then ration their meds.  Some drugs are plentiful, however some are in short supply.  For the more limited drugs, staff counts out usually 1/2 or 2/3 of the pills and advise the patients they must purchase the remainder.  The drugs dispensed also illustrate the limited resources available to the people here.  Most are still used in Canada in some capacity, but usually not as first line treatments for the disorders treated on the ward. Many of the drugs dispensed have not been used in the west as first line treatments in decades for the disorders treated on the ward, meaning those needing medications are sugjected to significantly more and invasive side effects.  The plus side is that when the ward has the drugs on hand, the patients do not have to pay for them.

The journey of the patients from the villages sometimes takes hours, and it is not strictly accurate to state all these people as patients.  Often, family has accompanied the them as well.   It is also not uncommon for a loved one to have made the trek on their own to consult with the clinical officers on behalf of the patient, relaying how he/she is doing and pick up medications.   One of the officers explained to me how this is not ideal.  Pyschoeducation around mental health in Uganda faces significant barriers and although these family members undoubtedly would not make such treks if they did not care deeply, it is unlikely their understanding runs deep enough to offset impatience and possible resentment, if, say, after trekking for miles from the village and back, the patient displays reluctance to adhere to the medication regiment.  Just as significantly, once back in the village there is not much available support around these issues. Previous mental health sensitization radio broadcasts have been cancelled and outreach visits to the villages have been scaled back to the rising fuel costs.  There is also the obvious factor that when dealing with sensitivities surrounding mental health, which in Uganda, as elsewhere, are steeped in a great amount of stigma, that trusting a 2nd hand consultation to reach from a patient and back again without ingrained attitudes finding their way in may not be realistic.  However, as the officer explained to me, the patients often face "natural constraints," their poverty not allowing for transport to the ward if they are in poor physical health or otherwise unable to make the trip on foot.  The representations are the only way some patients' very real mental health concerns are addressed and treated, and the business of the ward is illustrative of the huge need it is filling.

It seems not big enough and understaffed, yet the ward is significantly bigger than the mere two rooms dedicated to mental health only last year.  Aside from the outpatient program, the ward also hosts 20 inpatient beds.  It feels like more, however, because just as family often accompanies the outpatients, they also stay with the inpatients.  These relatives, reffered to often as "attendants," are relied upon for nutritional support as well as emotional.  At the hospital, food is limited.  A cup of porridge is served at 10am, and at 3pm, its posho (corn flour, water and salt mashed together) and beans.  Anything beyond this is supplied and prepared by the attendants, although it is common for those with food to share with those without.  Walking around the hospital grounds, many women can be seen in clusters preparing food over wood fires.

The ward also hosts monthly meetings of the Epilepsy Group, comprised of both epiliptic and recovered epileptc patients and their family who come together to share their experiences and support each other and speak to strategies around eliminating stigma.  Chelsea and I took questions for the group to bring back answers during June meetings.  I had heard accounts of how, being white and from the west, that the local population here would look to us as experts.  I found this to be true in general and during this meeting a woman asked around a family member whose seizures have ceased but still suffers an intellectual disability, to which she asked us how to cure.  It is difficult to be looked to in hope when you know the anwswer will take it away.  We provided no answers this session, as we were clear epilepsy has not been our field of study and that we would need to look for responses.  We'll have to look at how to answer that question delicately.

Although underresourced, it seems very impressive what mental health treatment has accomplished in this area of Uganda, both for patients and caregivers.  The natural constraints explained to me also seem to have a side effect in that supportive relatives often choose to stick by and support their loved ones out of necessity, which has helped build such a passionate community, both through the hosptial and Uganda Schizophrenia Fellowship (more on that in a future post).  While this obviously doesn't negate the difficulties, it lays a strong foundation to build a stronger system and community.  I have met patients who jump at the chance to tell their story without shame to complete strangers (not to mention foreigners!).   It is really a testament to the ability of the people here to overcome those big barriers and help people both get better and to reduce the stigma and misconceptions that people living with mental illnesses face here.

I had the opportunity to sit in on a few consults with one of the clinical officers.  It was a very interesting process, maybe especially so because, aside from hosptial visits in my capacity as a housing support worker, I have no previous experience from Canada working in a hospital setting.  There were some representations as noted above, with more than  patient bringing a family member in for a first time consult.   There was one interaction in particular whereby an elderly mother was brought in by an adult child around first time symptoms from the previous weekend.  Considering the lack of resources and aforementioned stigma, it is very encouraging that some people are seeking help from the hosptial so immediately.   I wonder about my presence in these situations, whether it has an impact on the information shared between the patient and the clinical officer, especially being a representive from the west.  The interactions do seem natural though. 

There is one story I found particularly striking during this consultation sit in.  A patient with Epilepsy (Epilepsy is treated in the psychiatric ward in Uganda) voiced frustration that although she has been faithfully following her medication regimen, her seizures remain constant.  Probing for possible triggers, the conversation turned to stress, where the patient revealed her living situation and also shed light to the extent of some of the stigma and false information around some health issues here.  Essentially family and community alike have ostrasized this patient, to the point where an empty house has been given for living, so that nobody needs to share living quarters.  Interaction with her is actively discouraged.  I can't speak to details, but it is not uncommon to view epilepsy here as contagious or as a curse.  The officer pointed to this situation as the likely reason the medication has not ceased the seizures.  He pointed out also that when she comes to the hospital, she at least has briefly the oppotunity to be amongst people who do not judge her, before a brief counsel and medication refill before the long walk back to the village.

Kampala Bound - Kayla

Well, we're almost a month into our stay in Uganda and so much has happened I'll try to shorten it up! I made the trek from Masaka to Kampala about 2 weeks ago. I'm now living with a former student, Carli Travers, who participated in the first Uganda Project. She has since moved to Uganda, married, and now is a mother to 16 amazing children. Some of the kids are former street children or ones that have come from vulnerable home situations. However, you would never be able to tell this as the kids are all very close to one another and are very happy. It just goes to show once again how resilient the children of Uganda are because despite some terrible (a vast understatment) situations they've been in, they still wake up everyday with a smile on their face.

To be honest, this trip has been a roller coaster of emotions for me. I have just recently began my practicums in Kampala so there was about a 2 week period where I was floating around to other placements since I wasn't in Kampala and beginning my own. That was a really difficult time for me because not only did I feel really unsettled but I also got pretty sick. This led to me spending a couple days trying to recover and gave me a lot of down time to think about and miss home very much. I remember my low point was bribing my mom with $5000 to come visit me.. needless to say, she declined my offer. Since meeting Carli, Robert and their children, I'm happy to report that not only am I not homesick, I don't want to come home at the end of July! The children are so vibrant, smart and fun that I have formed an attachment to them already. I'm thankful that I have been placed here and that they have opened their doors to me and made me a part of their family.

I have just started my practicum at Wakisa Ministries which is a crisis centre for pregnant teen girls. I've only had a few days there so in my next post I will talk more about that. For now, I just wanted to list some things I've soaked in since the beginning of my trip. A lot of them have been real eye openers for me and although they may be hard to understand, they had an impact on me.

Things that are unique in Uganda:

- If you've been here, you'll get what I mean when I say that there's a settled chaos to the road. The road is shared by boda's, matatu's (van taxi's), taxi's, buses, cows, goats, bicycles and people. I swear the first time I drove into Entebbe, I didn't breathe for the first 5 minutes. I feel like I owe my boyfriend an apology for all those times I would hold when he drove, as I now know what feeling unsafe in a vehicle really feels like. I'm much more at ease and enjoy car rides as I realized that everyone here is aware of their surroundings and there's an understanding about the rules of the road.

- The people here are very generous and giving even if what they have is not much. The people of Uganda are exceptional hosts and have welcomed me since the moment I've been here. In the village, if you are at someone's place they will take the best care of you. Even if someone only has 2 pineapples left, they won't hesitate to cut one up when you're visiting and send you home with one. The hospitality here has been incredible in that way. Also, the culture is strongly rooted in tradition, song and dance. Even though individuals may face hardships often, they hold a strong faith and are just happy people.

- It's easy to get caught up with the beauty of Uganda but there are a few times where I've had quick reality checks that remind me that this isn't like home. Having our vehicle searched for bombs and weapons when we enter parking lots of supermarkets is not something I'm used to. Also, it's been a time of political unrest here and when the people are trying to carry out peaceful protests and exercise their right to freedom of speech, they have been met with resistance. It's been difficult to be around when peaceful protests occur and have been met with teargas, live ammunition and violence. When that happens, my rose coloured glasses are smashed and I remember that this is a true reality of the people that live here.

- Something I can't get over about the people of Uganda is how hard they work everyday. Everyone of all ages will take responsibilty for doing some kind of labour from washing clothes to digging in the fields. I'll admit, I can't keep up with their energy, it's endless ! I admire how even children take accountability to complete chores and are always helping out around the house and with the younger children.

- One of the harder things that is very different from Canada is the amount of street children that are scattered throughout the city. For here, it is very normal to see children under the age of 12 congregating at the city dump, alleys or markets where they eat, sleep and live. It's been heartbreaking for me to see these children so vulnerable and helpless with no where to go.With living expenses being so high many people can barely afford to feed themselves let alone children that aren't theirs. It's a sad reality that many of these children grow up without a real home. The street children that I've met are some of the strongest individuals I've ever encountered. They are resilient with smiles on their faces and always happy to see me. Also, the loyalty they have to one another is admirable, they become their own family.

Things that are the same in Uganda and Canada:

- A mother's love for her child can't be measured and if faced with an problem, she will do anything to protect her children and give them a better life. This is evident by the women in Uganda working long days in the field or in the market to sell their goods to earn money for food and school fees.

- The bonds of siblings are so strong and they remain a united front whether it's against other children, parents or other adults. In Uganda, the older children care for their younger siblings in a lot of ways Canadian siblings generally don't. However, when it comes down to it, I've noticed that they stick together when the times get tough and at the end of the day, realize that they always have each other.

- No matter who it is or how old they are, every single person has a dream. Whether they vocalize it or not, we all hold some kind of dream for ourselves and our families in our heart.

- Finally, even if the worldview of the two cultures is different in major ways there is still one huge connection between the two. We are all human beings and naturally crave respect, love and understanding. This is one of the lessons that I learned that I hope I can continue to offer the individuals in my personal and professional life.

Although it's been a time of happiness and sadness for me, I don't regret my decision to come to Uganda. I keep reminding myself that as a learner, I'm receiving an invaluable learning opportunity. I'll always be grateful for that in the end, I'll be able to expand my worldview and my understanding of humanity.

Until next time,

Kayla

"One who burns in the Sun" (Chera)

Apparently there is a Swahili word for white person that literally translates to “One who burns in the sun”. I wish I knew this word because I would declare it as my new nickname here. Yes, I got burned…badly. Actually, we all did, but I seem to have got the worst of it. Last Saturday, our student group decided to spend the day at lake Nabugabo. It was a beautiful sunny day, but poor judgment on our part,
we stayed out too long. It turns out I have 2^nd degree burns on my legs and it has been extremely painful to stand or walk.

Despite the pain, I had a great day at Anaweza on Monday. The highlight was when we picked up on a discussion from last week about goal setting. The children were asked to use their imagination to draw an image that shows the steps it will take to achieve their goal in life. After everyone was finished, the children had an opportunity to share their work with the rest of the group. We had pilots, a nurse, football coach, policeman, a computer company employee, mechanic, president of Uganda! It was so wonderful to see what the children came up with and even though many appeared shy, the energy of the group was powerful and every child was smiling.

The next day, my sunburn was even more painful so I decided to stay in bed and work on my session plans. Later that evening when Melissa returned from Anaweza, she told me she ran into one of the boys while walking through the nearby village with our supervisor. This boy did not attend Anaweza that day because he had to do chores and tend to the children of the family he is staying with. Apparently both the child’s parents have died so he has been taken in by this family. The boy was excited to see Melissa and our supervisor because he wanted to show them a small garden he had started after learning how to do it at Anaweza. He then told our supervisor that he loves coming to Anaweza and if he’s ever not there, it is because he is needed at the home. I have a feeling that this boy misses a lot of school as well because it was pointed out to me earlier that he is behind.When I heard this story, I felt overwhelmed. On one hand I was so happy to witness the good work that is being done at Anaweza. The skills that the children are learning are important skills to have for survival here. On the other hand I was saddened as I began to face the reality of the challenges these kids face. Up until now I have been avoiding thinking about it. Of course I have been aware in a general sense, but it really hits home when you start hearing individual stories.

Anaweza was started because the founder saw a need to help children who are at risk of ending up on the street. My supervisor has many years working with street youth and saw first hand how difficult it is to get a child off the street once they are there, and so started Anaweza to help vulnerable children before it gets to that point. I believe this is the only organization of its kind in the Masaka area and there is such tremendous need.

This week my supervisor at Anaweza suggested that we come up with a program specifically for the girls, while he leads a program for the boys. The children had expressed an interest in this during a conversation he had with them last week. I suggested a program on self esteem because the young women here are said to be the most vulnerable. Having confidence and a positive self esteem will help them feel empowered to overcome obstacles and make healthy choices in life. Our supervisor was very receptive to the idea so we have been working on a session plan that includes a presentation/discussion followed by an art project inspired by what we have learned. One of the teen girls wants to lead a discussion on HIV/ AIDS so we will incorporate that in as well. I am new at this and have a lot to learn, but I am so inspired and passionate about trying to help these kids. I’m really excited about this projectJ

Wow, I know this blog entry is getting long but I must talk about my day at Kakunyu as well! Melissa and I were there yesterday (Thursday) for only a couple hours but the day that impacted me greatly. As I mentioned before, the children are on a school break so we haven’t got into a normal routine there yet. Yesterday we visited our supervisors home where her four children with disabilities live plus others who have been given up by parents who are unable to care for them or want nothing to do with them because they believe they are cursed (this is a common belief/stigma in Uganda). It was so great to spend time with the kids (a couple are young men/women as well). I learned that a physiotherapist comes to visit them everyday to do exercises. We got to observe while he did the exercises with them. It was wonderful to see the great work he was doing and how similar it is to what I have seen in Canada. Our supervisor told us about how much the children have improved since doing the exercises. After the exercises, we brought out a couple of the soccer balls which were donated by Janice Spencer (one of my instructors at Douglas College). We had a great time bouncing and rolling the balls to each other..everyone was smiling and laughing. It warmed my heart to see such joy on their faces.

While we were playing, a few workers from an orphanage in Masaka came to visit. They had a young boy with them with severe burns on the side of his face and head. The young boy was brought to Kakunyu because the orphanage was unable to take him due to his disability. Apparently this young boy’s parents died and so he was staying with a guardian. This guardian was abusive, burned him in a fire, and locked him in a room alone for two weeks. As one if the workers talked with my supervisor, she pulled out a bag with the boy’s clothing. It was all dirty, tattered, and torn. I could not believe what I was hearing..that this could happen to anyone let alone a child. Again, I was overwhelmed. I was relieved that this child was rescued and brought to Kakunyu, but I was also angry and couldn’t help but wonder if there are more children like him. And who would be able to help them? Kakunyu can only provide for a few.
Our supervisor cancelled our day today because we were meant to do home visits but are unable to due to the rain. I was disappointed at first, but now I’m kind of glad to have the day to reflect.

Love, Chera

An introduction to the Maska Traditional Healers Association and the Uganda Schizophrenia Fellowship - Maska branch (Chelsea)

Another week has gone by and I am so surprised at where the time has gone. This week was characterized by more exposure to African life, more insight into my/our practicums as well  the chance to share part of this adventure with a number of visitors from Canada associated with Douglas College and the Endowment Fund. Our African hosts were incredibly welcoming and hosted various visits, tours, performances and dialogues with our practicum sites and associated organizations. 

I will let the other students speak about their own practicums, but speaking for myself, I felt like I was given a tremendous gift being able to see a couple of the other student's practicum sites and know by proxy I was involved in the work they were doing (Jesse and myself had Easter Monday off from our own practicums).

Tuesday and Wednesday, the visitors (as well as Jesse and myself) were introduced and given a glimpse into two of the organizations that work with the Masaka Regional Referral Hospital's Mental Heath Ward (one of our practicum sites). The Maska Traditional Healers Association and the Uganda Schizophrenia Fellowship - Maska branch. Both were very powerful experiences for me.

Tuesday afternoon after a short drive from the Hotel where the guests were staying, we arrive on a picturesque hill top overlooking part of the beautiful and lushly green Masaka district.  We walk through a garden of various plants and trees and toward a hut that holds significance both culturally and historically (not that they can really be separated) The hut is that of a traditional healer,  the first line of health care for many Ugandans and was situated where the first white person arrived in Masaka town(or made contact with it's peoples...  I apologize if I am getting any of these details incorrect I am writing this from my memory/impressions of our dialogue with the traditional healers and few government officials that joined us). we took off our shoes and sat along the walls of the hut. Greetings were shared, introductions were made, an official report on the traditional healer project from the perspective of the traditional healers was shared which detailed their board, their successes and the challenges the faced (The project is an attempt to integrate the traditional healers into the mental health delivery system by using a referral process of difficult patients who have various symptoms of mental illness) and gifts were exchanged (and were well received on both sides- Bob was grinning like a school boy wearing his traditional garb). A dialogue began between the traditional healers and the visitors.  The visitors were interested in their processes and training. On the other hand, the traditional healers were interested in Canadian forests and plants,  traditional methods of health care and wellness available in Canada as well as general Canadian opinion on those alternative means of treatment.  They also expressed great interest in coming to Canada. From my perspective,  it was successful and incredibly interesting afternoon for both parties. I want to thank our Ugandan supervisor and head of the Psychiatry Department for his efforts organizing the event,  facilitating the program and all of the translating he had to do for the dialogue to take place.  You have my deepest gratitude and I would imagine that of the Canadian visitors as well.

Wednesday was yet another powerful experience. Jesse and I were already at the hospital with our supervisor when we met with the group of visitors. The people of the Masaka branch of the Uganda Schizophrenia Fellowship (USF) were also amazing hosts despite the fact that we were a bit pressed for time and the program had to be compressed. In African fashion,  greetings and welcomes were extended to us (including some amazing welcome songs) and introductions were made. USF provided us with a summarized report of their activities, successes and challenges. They have competitive sports teams (which at the moment are on hold due to the cost of transportation),  members utilizing micro-loans and starting up their own businesses, a number of members in the piggery program (owning and raising pigs as a source of income) and a craft club (making cards, baskets, and  balls out of various materials).  Again both communication and transport were highlighted as obstacles. It continues to amaze me the resiliency of the Ugandan people and what they can and do over come on a regular basis.   They touched and amazed us with poetry, songs, and a skit portraying what it is like to have schizophrenia in Uganda.  They work to educate their communities with these works of art to de-stigmatize mental illness.  I am in awe of the work they do and I believe we could use more organizations doing the work that they do in Canada. After sharing a meal with the members of USF, our African supervisor (again who organized, facilitated and translated the event) asked me for feedback, Jess and I praised the works of art we had just witnessed and the only negative thing I could honestly say was that I wished that I could speak Lugandan so that I could share and learn more from the people who had welcomed us so warmly. 

Well that is all I have to say for now. (Next time more on CRO)

Until next time...

Weebela nnyo (Thank you very much)