El Fin

As I am writing this final (or so I think) blog post, I am flying over the Atlantic ocean from Brussels to Toronto. I am just a teensy bit exhausted- partially from the adrenaline of last-minute cancelled flights and the excitement of seeing my family and friends oh so soon. So with that in mind, bear with me if this post seems in any way incoherent or if my thoughts are still somehow jumbled.

This last month in Uganda has been incredibly busy-- filled with lots of learning & traveling, pain & beauty, and hope & suffering. Let me try and summarize what I have been up to and where I have been.

Northern Uganda (Gulu & Kitgum)

Due to some political tensions between Uganda and Rwanda, the USP staff made a very wise decision to change our travel plans last minute. It was replaced with a 10ish day trip to Northern Uganda, specifically in Gulu and Kitgum. These are two regions that were heavily impacted by the northern conflicts between the LRA and the NRA that "ended" ten years ago. We talked with many organizations about the work of justice, reconciliation, and the impact of trauma in these regions of conflict. As a group, we heard many powerful stories and I am personally grateful to learn about the organizations doing great work to bring peace and reconciliation through art, music, breakdancing and many, many others. I am feeling very blessed to have been able to learn and hear from individuals during this time because of the hope I experienced in the midst of very deep suffering.

Entebbe

After this trip, we traveled back across the country to Entebbe, which is where the airport is located. This time was spent debriefing the semester and starting to think about what the process of re-entry into the United States will look like. Taking time to pause and think about the semester has helped me to identify some of the lessons I have learned and what has truly challenged me this semester. And, pausing to think about entering back into a very different culture and how many lessons I will recognize that I learned once I return.

I also appreciated time in Entebbe where I was able to spend quality time with fellow North American university students and with Ugandan students alike that I have become close with this semester. Saying "see you later" at the end of this week was very hard for me to do, but truly shows that I was lucky enough to find some wonderful friends during my time here.

Yumbe

After our week in Entebbe, four of my fellow global health peers and myself continued our education with a 2-week nutrition module. This took place in Yumbe, a district in northern Uganda that shares a border with South Sudan. I am so thankful for the two weeks I spent there, learning from organizations and community members partnering to fight malnutrition. We were graciously hosted by an organization called The Mango Project (or Mikiga, on the ground) that works to prevent malnutrition by empowering women, creating change for sustainable nutrition, and preserving mangoes. For the few weeks we were there, it was mango season which, besides eating my body weight in mangoes, means that us students had the privilege of learning how to pick, slice, and preserve mangoes from the Mikiga staff. I found this work incredibly fascinating because when mango season comes, so many mangoes fall from the trees and are wasted purely because they cannot all be consumed. So, Mikiga takes advantage of the excess and preserves mangoes so that in the dry season, community members can still maintain good nutrition by eating these preserved mangoes. If you are interested, you can find out more information at their website: https://www.themangoproject.com/

We also had the chance to observe and ask questions at Bidi Bidi, which is the largest refugee settlement on the African continent, or the 2nd largest globally. We learned about the impact of NGOs within the refugee settlement and also within the host community. I had very little understanding about refugee settlements before this exposure, so this experience was very eye-opening for me. I am left with many questions and my stomach turns at the thought of the injustice of this situation for all people involved.

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I hope that this blog, while brief, provides some insights into how my last month in Uganda was spent. There are so many things I wish I could describe for people at home and emotions that I do not know how to properly convey. As I am coming home, I am imagining some of the questions I may receive and it is slightly intimidating. I am still processing this semester and probably will be for a significant amount of time to come. So, because of this, I am worried that I will not be able to answer questions in the best way possible and may not be ready to share some of my experiences. With this said, I am asking for your patience and continued prayers as I readjust to life in the States and learn how to tell my stories.

Thank you to all of you who have walked with my in prayer and I thank you for continuing to do so. A few words to say "thank you" that I have used this semester: "weebale nnyo" in Luganda, "eyalama noi" in Ateso, "asante sana" in Kiswahilli, and "awadifo ambu" in Lugbara. As always, you can continue to reach out to me by email at velie.emma@gmail.com.

With love,

Mirembe Emma Kate