Week one has been literally so incredible! We arrived in Rwanda on Sunday and stayed the night at a hostile. The morning after, we went to a genocide museum. It was such an amazing and sobering experience. I was really touched by what they call the Children’s Room. They have big pictures of adorable children that were tragically killed because of their ethnicity. A plaque beneath the photos gave little tid-bits of information about them; their favorite food, favorite activity, a fun fact. It also said how they died. I was so saddened to see the horrible ways that these poor children perished. From what I gathered at the museum, Rwanda feels that most of the world turned a blind eye when over a million Tutsis were being slaughtered, and did not get involved or send aid that could have saved so many lives. I wasn’t alive at the time, but their desperation inspired me to get involved and do more when I see injustice in the world.
Having experienced the memorial and begun to understand more about African culture, we crossed the border into Uganda! After several days of training, orientation, and lecture, we were finally able to get to work. KIHEFO has four main clinics here in Kabale; maternal clinic, HIV/AIDS clinic, general clinic, and nutrition center. I began working in the maternal clinic. I observed as a pregnant woman was admitted, had her vitals taken, received a physical examination, was prescribed medication, was given an HIV and syphilis test, and had an ultrasound done. When the next patient came in, I was shocked when the nurse practitioner said, “Go ahead, examine her.” Under her supervision, I performed each task listed above from beginning to end, asking questions and receiving help along the way. My favorite part was taking the patient into the lab and performing the blood tests. I felt so useful, and I was so happy when I got to tell one patient that she was expecting a baby boy! Her smile was so big, it warmed my heart. I am so excited to dive into the work and be able to help, serve, and educate the Ugandan people.
Uganda Maternal/Child health and HIV 