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)