Final thoughts from Belém

As I think back on another amazing two and a half months in Belém, I become overwhelmed by a mix of powerful emotions. I am truly blessed to have such a compassionate and helpful Brazilian family! My colleague and homie, Joyce, introduced me to her entire family back in 2016 and they essentially took me in as one of their own. Thanks to them, this year I traveled to the beautiful beaches of Salinas, to the island Algodoal in the Atlantic, and to so many other breathtaking destinations in the north of Brazil.  Because they included me in all their outings and activities I truly felt at home in Belém. My friend Alan helped me become way more familiar with the local slang (jiripoca... kkkkkkk) and gave me a much better understanding of the economic and political issues currently happening in Brazil.

I also grew close with my colleague, Terezinha, who took me to beaches in the state of Pará, to festivals, parties and introduced me to her family and friends! Thanks to our discussions about race, class, corruption, music, and all of our cultural similarities and differences, I felt that I was gaining a better understanding of the hardships and the beauty of life in the north of Brazil.

I reconnected with old friends, formed new relationships with colleagues and residents of Belém and felt that I was becoming more Paraense (term for someone who lives in the state of Pará) by the day! Just as I felt that I was at home, and became comfortable thinking, conversing, and dreaming in Portuguese my time was up! And it was time to return back to the motherland.

The CBU-MHIRT program has given me more opportunities and life long connections to Belém and Brazil than I could ever thank them for. I feel like I am eternally in debt to them for this opportunity to return again to Belém.

Until next time Belém!

Égua, minha viagem foi bagulho doido! Até a proxima família Freitas <3


Picture of my good friend Terezinha, and company with me in the background!

Alan, his girlfriend Iracy, and I getting some pizza after getting some fresh hair cuts. 

Picture of Joyce, my friend Protasio, and myself chilling.

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The Unforgettable People of Ishaka

Our Friends of Ishaka

With these photos I immediately recollect the moments taken with all our friends we have come to know and love. Each has offered us an uplifting perspective on Uganda and a piece of warm hospitality that we will remember forever. 

The end of our data collection. This wonderful group is our last of three focus group interviews conducted. Along with surveys and interviews, we were able to sample 119 participants for our research this summer! The group of women were not shy in sharing their compassionate hugs and making us feel very welcome. 

Our friend's family and their plantation. Not only did they show me that pineapples grow from the ground and not like coconut trees, they allowed us the absolute pleasure to come into their abode. Meeting them and each valuable member that makes up this family was the happiest experience. Their pineapples were good too. The phrase you are what you eat must be true, because they were the sweetest family I have come to know.

Pineapple Coma. Trust me, a bite of our friend's pineapple will make you want to eat this many. However, I don't recommend using them as a mattress.

The Last Supper (of Ishaka Health Plan & MHIRT). This partnership has allowed us to take initiative to begin uncovering health disparities that exist within communities. From this teamwork, these co-workers have become our closest friends. Our combined efforts to further bridge the gaps in health disparities among minority groups allowed us the same venue to grow and foster our relationships with each other. We're very appreciative.

  The MHIRT Uganda Team. Here we are with our clothes made in Uganda by our lovely tailors. First of all, we're slaying. Second of all, I must say that I have been so blessed to be able to share these experiences from the past two months together. Our journey has made us into a tight-knit group I am thankful to be a part of. Thank you for being great friends and thanks for the many laughs. Next time I want to stir fry and chill, I'll be sure to hit you all up. 

Sharing my Reflections with you

Guys,

It’s been exactly a week since my landing in the Memphis International Airport. The first day I got back I wanted to observe American life as an outsider, someone who has never heard the distinct Memphis accent, felt the suffocating humidity, and seen the rundown apartments along the interstate. This strategy worked for so long. Trying to cling onto what I learned in Brasil, I quickly learned that in order not to slip into depression, this was going to take adjustment back to my home. There are still days, restricted to moments, that are paralyzing for me. All I want to do is cry and go back to Brazil. But then I think of my sustainability and know that without MHIRT’s backing I would have not been able to survive there. Maybe I would have found a job, but without a nice apartment to fall asleep every night, things would have been a lot different.

My experience in Pr. Riso’s lab was mesmerizing, truly captivating. Once I got acclimated to the lab, it seemed that I had to leave. Living with Aminata and Winter, I found myself constantly comparing my experience to theirs. Having a competitive spirit, since they were working more on their own, it was very hard for me to have to work under someone else in the lab. In addition, the only times I could initially go into lab was when Lucas, aka the one who taught me what to do in the lab, was there. And that happened only 2-3 times a week as he was a college student as well. However once I met more people in the lab, I started going more days and started feeling included in the lab and things started looking great.

I have never had an experience in a lab outside of workstudy and CBU classes. The closest experience to being self-sufficient I had was Organic Chemistry Lab with Dr. Peer. Wanting to be out of there early, I was internally forced to work at break neck speed and not experiencing this at a real working lab was refreshing.

The challenge for me during my stay in Florianopolis compared to the struggles Aminata and Winter shared was having to work in a group setting. Not being the one who was in charge was a little frustrating. It was also freeing as responsibility was shared among many people and showed me how labs are structured to also be learning centers and many times Lucas taught me things while we were running a test.

In addition to what I learned in the lab, there were many things that I learned about myself in Brasil. The first weekend I was there, I learned of the South American Ironman Championships. When I was getting my bags in the Florianopolis airport I had seen huge bags and once of them said triathlon. Now it made sense! I had to learn of a way to get there. I had arrived in the Hercilio Luz International Airport on a Friday and the triathlon was the coming Sunday. I also needed a bike to get around the area and to train for triathlon. So I went to work. I searched for nearby bike stores and found once less than a mile away. So I went around 6:00 pm, already dark in the winter of this city. I didn’t take much with me as I had been warned this was Brasil. However, since I am very trusting, I wasn’t scared. I felt safe. Fast forward to getting to the bike shop and being shocked by the prices when I was looking for a very cheap bike to aid me for about 2 months. Not knowing how to speak much Portugues I tried my hand with Google translate. Something was lost in translation and the salesman referred me to a kind English speaking brasileiro. I asked if he knew where there were lower priced options. We talked. And then we exchanged numbers. It was through his help that I was able to procure transportation to the Ironman. This was my first Ironman. I was stoked. When I got dropped off, it was still before the sunrise and I didn’t have any idea where I was. I freaked out a bit. However I soon saw people and started following them and then I saw the headquarters for Ironman and felt comfortable. I continued to find a place for myself to watch the swim. I ended up at the front where triathletes were saying goodbye to their families for the whole day while they try their hardest to bring closure to many months or years of intense training. It was an amazing feeling to be surrounded by people who cared about this sport as much or more as I do. Once the last swimmer was done, I wanted to know where the bikes began. Right in front of me was a very irate person with Ironman. Not seeing anyone else, being tired, and not wanting to search for anyone else, I got this person’s attention and asked if they spoke English. She said so-so, and I was off to the races at her amazement. Quickly I realized she was not understanding and remembered the word for biking “pedalada” and tried the best Portugues I had at that point. Somehow she understood and told me where it was. Before this, there was the swimming finish, I had no clue about and it was straight across the beach past an official barrier. She invited me into behind the scenes territory and the rest of the day was a blast! On this day of Sunday May 28, 2017 I had my first moto ride, my first acai, my first ironman I spectated and made my first very close Brasileira amiga.

Going forward to my future time in Brazil, I had many adventures including a trip to Curitiba and Foz do Iguacu with Aminata and Ashley along with Ashley’s roommate Camila. All the while I was exploring the island of Florianopolis and training with my triathlon team Equipetime as much as time and space allowed me. In addition, I also had a week in Rio where I met the most amazing guy for whom a girl could ask. As I type this, he said he is traveling to Mexico because it is closer to where I live.

I have many more stories to share about my MHIRT Brazilian summer and it was an amazing time, indeed!

A Unique Experience

My summer doing research in Nicaragua has come to an end. There is a lot to say, but it is an experience people have to go through in order to understand what I am saying. I feel like my passion for global health has grown and it is great knowing what I want to do in the future. This experience reaffirmed the path I want to take, and I couldn't be more excited for it! 

I worked with three other students and my mentor Katy on chronic diseases in a semi-urban community in Nejapa, Nicaragua. We researched diabetes, hypertension, and obesity due to the high consumption of sugar around that area. It was interesting having cultural barriers that wouldn't allow us to teach them about healthy eating due to the habits they are accustomed to. It was indeed a challenge but it is what I find fascinating about cultures. As outsiders we might want to help them but the question will always be "how can we help them without necessary intervene in their culture?" After weeks, we were able to find answers, but it is a long-term project that will take more time than just 5 weeks.  I am excited to know we left this project so other students can keep working on it and even focus on more areas such as physical activity or portion sizes. I am glad I got to experience this research because it is a unique experience that would be difficult to find another similar one. In other words, if I could go back, I would do it all over again. 

Here we have the consejeras (volunteers that help promote health), my mentor Katy (on bottom right second to last), and the rest of the group that helped the project be well put together. 

Would you ever go back?

It seems like yesterday I was sitting on top of someone in an over-crowded mutatoo, sweating from no air conditioning, or eating matoke smothered in g-nut sauce which would unexpectedly become my new favorite dish. I could go for a bowl now. Where did the time go? It didn’t resonate with me at the moment just how fortunate I was to discover more about world in which we live in and the different cultures that exist. Often, I find myself in deep thought as I analyze and reflect upon the experiences I underwent during my time in Uganda. What I find interesting is how those are who are without an education can serve as skilled teachers to those who have. I found myself an everyday student and viewed the community as my classroom; watching and forever learning. In ten weeks, I was introduced to a new perspective lens of happiness and perseverance. Of all the lessons that have managed to follow me home, these two remain the most pertinent. I say that because despite being a developing country with a weak economic infrastructure, Ugandans have proven to be some of the happiest and most determined people I have yet to encounter. No electricity? They'll walk miles in the dark. You need a ride? They’ll pack nineteen people in a twelve passenger because they are going to get where they have to go, regardless. No money? Although uncertain, they will work until a little appears and will do so with a smile and a laugh. It mattered not what hurdles stood in their path whether it be financial, emotional, or social, they always managed to jump over and persevere with a smile and a laugh. I placed the obstacles I experienced back home into this new perspective, soon realizing how miniscule in size they compared with those of true hardships. How foolish of me to complain of making a grade in a college class after meeting those younger than me selling fried ganja on the streets to help support their families? Am I forced to leave education to support my family? Are my village members depending on me to come back and make a change? I had always been told by my parents there were others out there in the world that would kill to have the things I do and to appreciate my blessings in life greatly. But to me, those were only words. I needed raw, real-life exposure and once I had gotten it in Uganda I couldn’t begin to fathom. I will forever remember my time in Uganda because it further motivated my career incentive of becoming a physician. I don’t dispute health disparities exist in the U.S., but how do they compare to a country whose public health system routinely fails to properly serve its people? Do they care? When asked would I ever go back, the answer is a confident yes, but only on one condition: If I am able to make an effective, long-lasting change.

The End of Our Time in Uganda

Anthony, me, and Susan outside of the IHP office. They gifted our team IHP polos before we left.


Our last meal in Ishaka! Featuring: avocados, matooke, groundnut sauce, chapati and eggs (to make my favorite, rolex), cabbage, fried gonja, African milk tea, and sweet pineapple from Anthony's family's plantation.


The view from our backyard (so many matooke trees!) and part of my favorite running path.


Saying our goodbyes. L-R: Daryl, Heidi, Moreen, Kinnon, me, Hermon, and Luke.


The Uganda MHIRT team wrapped up our trip by kayaking on the Nile River in Jinja!

Pictures for the words I cannot find

I just want to start this post by saying that I still haven't found the words to adequately describe my experience in this country over the last 8 weeks. In my final week here, I find myself wondering how it all happened so fast. I worked with an amazing group of people from my internship team to the community members, and it has definitely been an unforgettable experience.

My favorite activity with the youth: Spider Web activity to reflect on what each of us gained from our time together

Youth leaders with their certificates after completing the Big Decisions course that we taught

Youth presenting what they learned in the course to their community

The amazing family that hosted around 20 people for two weeks, helped make every meal for us, and did so with so much love and grace. I'm eternally grateful.

Fresh baby calf that we got to meet during our time in the community

Back in the office working this week

But I'd say there's always time for a little monkey business

What I can say is that I have been inspired by the strength of individuals and communities to make meaningful and lasting change. I have learned that I will never be able to do enough to address health disparities around the world and in the U.S., but I resolve to never stop trying.

Esto no es el final. This is not the end.

After spending two weeks in El Bambú working closely with the volunteer mothers and their care groups, my time in Nicaragua is almost coming to an end. During our time there, my group and I taught six nutrition lessons to the volunteer mothers using the rotafolios (flip chart) we created and they played a major role in validating the language and images used so it was appropriate for the context it will be used in. Due to the weather and cultural norms, we weren't able to watch the volunteer mothers do all the replicas (replicated lessons) to their care groups but we did observe three of the six lessons and it was very gratifying to see the work they do for the well being of their community. The three other lessons will be completed within the month of August and there will be a follow up health station in six months to measure the effect of the lessons. Here are some pictures of the last two weeks. Disclaimer; the following pictures don't capture the amount of work we did, the immersion of our project or the endless love the community continuously gave us during our stay. 

This is Mirna, our youngest volunteer mother, ready to teach a lesson on breastfeeding to her care group. The lessons were based on images and dynamic activities in order to get the mothers to participate besides the high percentage of illiteracy in La RAAS (South Caribbean Coast Autonomous Region).

Our entertainment station for the kids to draw while the mothers of the care group were receiving the lessons. Having the kids come to the lesson was very important because the PD Hearth methodology requires the children to be fed from the rich nutrient recipes the mothers create at the end of the lesson. Ideally this would allow the mothers to see the improvement in the kids' energy if enough continuous lessons were done but due to the limitations of the community (lots of precipitation, muddy roads and patriarchal households) only 3 recipes were done over a period of 5 days in only 2 of the 3 care groups.

Here is Orfa, one of the mothers of the care group, cutting yuca leaves which are high on iron and easily found around the community. The leaves were added to the empanada dough.

The finalized recipe! Rice and beans yuca empanadas -- a tasty and nutrient rich meal made with resources from the community and by the mothers. The cup contains fresco de jocote (jocote leaves juice); a local fruit that is very high on iron and ideal to incorporate into the children's diet due to the overwhelming high percentage of anemic kids under five years old.

This one is for the women and the babes that made my time in Nicaragua a life changing experience. The potential of the volunteer mothers to capacitate the rest of the community on positive feeding and childcare practices are very promising. A follow up health station in January 2018, will measure the effects of the current PD Hearth intervention.

Nice smores - using (malvaviscos) marshmallows and Chiky's (a very yummy vanilla cookie with chocolate filling).  The kids and adults of the community loved them and it was a great bonding experience outside of work that allowed a multitude of cultures to come together.

Farewell Uganda: Memories from Africa

My journey in Uganda has come to an end in this final week of the MHIRT program. I have had the privilege of working with amazing anthropologists from the University of TN, Knoxville who have opened a whole new world to me. I’ve learned about forensic science and transitional justice as tools for capacity-building and reconciliation for countries that have experienced conflict. Professor Trish Hepner has been an invaluable mentor these past few weeks as I’ve consulted with her about my plans to pursue a doctoral degree in psychology at UTK in a couple years. Her expertise in human rights and refugee issues has been the source of hours of insightful discussion. Working with Wilfred (a Ugandan Masters student) and Lucia (a Swedish PhD student) has made this summer quiet enjoyable as they provide fresh perspectives to the project.

The drivers and translators were also valuable assets to the team as they helped us navigate the physical and social landscape of the region. It has been an amazing experience working in various villages in northern Uganda including Pader, Patiko, Pabbo, Kitgum, and Buchoro with beautiful scenery and roaming green hills. We took an exciting excursion to Murchison Falls where we went on a guided safari tour and got up close and personal with elephants, giraffes, antelopes, warthogs and chimpanzees. I hope to return to Uganda soon to explore more of its natural splendor and to reconnect with the amazing, warm-hearted people I have met here.

    The Dream Team

 Nile River

 Murchison Falls

 Safari Tour

 

"The Mystery Van" (our mode of transportation for work and play)

Brazil, I love you.

 Iguazu Falls- Brazil side

 Marco das Tres Fronteiras-Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay

 Itaipu Binacional Hydroelectric Plant

 Christ the Redeemer- Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

This summer was more than I could have hoped for. Thank you MHIRT! Brazil, I love you <3

My travels throughout the state of Para and Rio

At the beach on the island of Algodoal! 

With my friends heading back to the mainland by boat

My brother and I at the Escadaria do Selaron in Rio de Janeiro!

My friend Alan and I chilling at the beach in Salinas

Was Floripa the right place for me? A record of pics.

Disclaimer: I know I went above the picture limit by far. However I want to share as much of my stay here as possible. And MHIRT is the one who helped me find "Heaven on EARTH"

Future MHIRT students, please consider these amazing pictures when deciding on a MHIRT site...

Let me also share my very personal thought process. I heard of MHIRT my freshman year of CBU. Right away I wanted to join this amazing program to see a different place than Memphis, TN. Now, is that the right motive to apply? It's definitely not! However for a struggling science major, becoming immersed in a real lab will help one see what working in one is like. I had no idea the pace was as relaxed as it was. Also when I applied to MHIRT, I had no preference on where I wanted to go or what I wanted to work on or with... MHIRT is great at matching students!!!!

Coming from CBU's organic chem lab led by Dr. Peer, I was used to being given a task and then after he knew what we were doing, he trusted us to problem solve our way through the lab. This was a great experience! I learned to work by myself for the most part, relying occasionally on my classmates Saehymn Oh or Kaila Muhammad for help. 

Thanks to UFSC's NEPAQ lab, I have learned the importance of working with a team in a science setting. My lab was very big, with at least two people working together on most projects, so working by myself was not a thing. New experiences, new neuronal connections created!!!!

Trilha de Boa Vista

Barra de Lagoa lookout

Unknown to me flower on Trilha de Boa Vista

Cool pic, eh?

Look at me having fun with my camera!!!

OMG, I'm now an ecology major and to see a whole stand on ecology concepts and to be able to understand what it's trying to disseminate, even if it's in another language is priceless!!!

Ditto for the last one.

Entrance to Praia Mole

My view from my apartment here.

Sand play

Sand play

Me and sand

Brasil a la sand

Lab mates Karla and Mateus

Work, work, work

Beautifil mural

Legal lugar in lagoa de conceicao

sandboarding in lagoa de conceicao

Ditto with last one

A fraction of my huge lab. Guess who's me?

Entrance to my lab

UFSC logo

One room in my lab.

Work, work, work