It has been about 7 weeks already! We have done and been
almost everywhere in South of Uganda, even to Rwanda, as well as compiled a lot
of data for our research. As our stay comes close to an end here (two weeks
left!), here are few things of MANY that I have learned from my time here.
1. Enjoy Moments of Simplicity in Life
I love our workdays and being able to talk
to people! However, there Is nothing like a calming morning to start out. My
favorite moments begin with a hot cup of African milk tea laid beside me on the
front steps of the patio. I sit where I can feel the sunlight warming my face
as if the day wishing me a good morning. After my cup, I stretch facing the sun
to bask in its glory and sit in silence to live in my experience. It is living and
appreciating these simple moments in life that help maintain a beautiful
perspective on life.
2. Importance to Cherish & Cultivate Love and
Friendship
This week we visited the Rwandan Genocide
Memorial in Kigali. This wonderfully-created memorial documented one of the
world’s most violent ethnic cleansing/genocide. It was a time in Rwanda where
neighbors killed neighbors, friends killed friends, family members killed family
members based on ethnic status. Leaving me in tears, I left in a status of shock
of the violent capacity reached from the persecution of the Tutsis. It not only
gave me a perspective on the harsh effects of colonialism in African countries
and government-enforced ethnic division, but also stressed the importance to
cultivate and cherish the love of family and friendships. Our time in Ishaka
has been exceptionally wonderful solely because of the love of our close
friends here. We work with some of them as coworkers but we also set aside
times to share stories, laughs, and devour food J
together. Fostering close friendships. This is what makes experiencing another
culture and place worthwhile to me the most.
3. Barrier to Screening & Treatment for Cervical
Cancer
When we were in Kampala at a market that
sells many local tourist merchandise, I stayed in one shop a little longer than
the rest partly due to their ability to speak Swahili. When explaining that we were
in Uganda for research on cervical cancer and HPV to the vendor. She shrugged
off her own concerns for cancer by saying that she’d rather not get screened like
her mom (who was diagnosed with bone cancer) because she would not have enough
money for treatment and travel. She’d rather not know. “Treatment does not
exist for those who do not have enough wealth” were her words of concern. Unfortunately,
this is a concern prevalent among many individuals we have interviewed. Treatment
services for cancer are not as widely-available for Ugandans. If diagnosed
here, patients are referred to far locations for treatment. For some it is so
much of a barrier to pay for cost of travel and treatment that hope is lost and
individuals are skeptic about treatment opportunities. This is one of many of our research findings. Our research has been
able to uncover a lot on how cervical cancer and HPV affects and is perceived
by members of communities.
Stay tuned for much more! J
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