For the past 2 months I've had the pleasure of working with IOM Uganda. When I arrived in mid-January, I didn't quite know what to expect, but when I walked into the IOM Kampala ofice I was overwhelmed by the number of warm and friendly people I encountered (as well as all the food). My first week in Kampala was a mixture of
getting to know the way IOM works as well as shadowing the IOM physicians and
staff. I got to sit in during refugee screenings and meet applicants for
resettlement from Somalia, South Sudan, Rwanda and the DRC. They had some
incredible stories, and by the end of the first week, I was already loving my
work.
Our
first trip out to a refugee camp was to the Nakivale Resttlement camp near
Mbarara, Uganda. This would be my first visit to a refugee camp and also my
first experience participating in refugee relocation screens. We spent nearly 3
weeks screening over 500 patients, and I quickly started to see the purpose for
the screenings. We found people with pneumonia, tuberculosis and Burkitt’s
lymphoma. We found people in need of mental health services and newly diagnosed
pregnancies in need of further obstetric care. I saw how powerful it was to
help someone through a new illness, but also move towards a new life in the
process.
After
Mbarara, we came back to Kampala for only one day before being whisked away to
Kyenjojo, Uganda for another mission. This time, we screened around 250
refugees, and began to work on a side project further evaluating applicants who
were found to have abnormal findings during their examinations. During a
previous IOM mission to the Kyangwali camp near Hoima, Uganda, providers had noticed
that nearly 1 in 6 refugees presenting for medical screenings had enlarged
spleens. During our mission to Kyaka (near Kyenjojo, Uganda) we found similar
findings in Congolese applicants, and by the end of my trip, had begun working
on a project evaluating for potential causes in the community.
It
wasn't “all work and no play,” however, and during my time in Uganda I had my
fill of new experiences (and new foods). I learned a little Swahli, Lugandan
and Somali from some of the refugees and staff, and sampled a lot of the local
cuisine (even trying matoke for the first time). Dr. Gladys made sure I was
never hungry, and Dr. Saul made sure I was never bored or without a good laugh.
During the last week in Kampala a few of us even took a day trip to Jinja,
Uganda to see the Nile. We got to go rafting over some of the rapids, and I’m
proud to say I stayed dry despite the Nile’s best efforts (mostly).
I keep
telling people what an amazing experience this trip ended up being, but I
haven't been able to fully explain it to people back in the U.S. Maybe it has
to do with the work we were involved in, helping refugees relocate and start a
new life. Maybe it was getting to immerse myself in a new culture, and finding
some new friends in the process. But I think what was truly extraordinary about
my time was that I never felt like I left home. I had the distinct pleasure of
getting to work with a group of people who treated me like a part of their
family, and who made sure I never wanted for anything and even humored my silly
questions and c
I left
Uganda with a heavy heart. This experience has to be one of the most rewarding
and fascinating experiences of my life. It is possible, though, that somewhere
down the road I’ll see some of these refugees in the United States. Many of the
applicants I met will be eventually relocated to the U.S., and some may even
come to call Minnesota home. If I do see them again, it will just add to the
long list of amazing experiences I've had from Uganda. We'll have to find some
matoke somewhere in the Twin Cities.
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| IOM vehicle outside of Mayanja Hospital in Mbarara, Uganda |
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| View from apartment overlooking Kampala, Uganda |
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| Panoramic of Nile River from balcony |
