When you go to Africa on an internship or study abroad, you are told to bring gifts. Presents for your teachers, your mentors, your patients, and even strangers that you encounter. Many of my fellow students brought an entire suitcase full of such gifts: trinkets and toys, bubbles, balls. Nothing of any true value or …
Author Archives: mckennaorme
Uganda: A Day in the Life of a Global Health Intern
I wake up at 8 am every day in my apartment. With four girls and two bathrooms, it’s a pretty nice place to stay. No cockroaches, few mosquitos, and at 7,000 feet elevation it never gets too hot. We all have breakfast in the pavilion. A staple of Ugandan cuisine is chapatti, which is basically …
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The Power of Rabbits
The Power of Rabbits This is Esther. She lives on a mountain a 3 hour walk from the city of Kabale, where we are located. Esther got married when she was 18 years old to a man 15 years older than her. Over the years she gave birth to five children that she and …
Water
There isn’t anything we take for granted like water. Turn on a tap, flush a toilet, buy a bottle, walk to a drinking fountain: it is so easy, so simple, we don’t even notice it. Thirst is not an issue. Showers are not an issue. Cooking is not an issue. Unfortunately, these things are not …
Traditional Healer
A half hour boat ride across the beautiful lake Bunyonyi will bring you to an island inhabited by a small, but religious and superstitious people. This is where we were introduced to a traditional healer, who forgoes modern medicine in favor of herbal remedies and magic. His appearance surprised me. He was covered in animal …
Road Trip!
After a week filled with hours upon hours of orientation, lectures, learning, and cultural baptism by fire, we escaped Kabale to travel to Mburo national park for a safari! We left early Friday morning and drove for hours until we reached the park. Most of the time when we take long drives I squeeze in …
Week 1: So Far, So Good!
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 …
Uganda Maternal/Child health and HIV 