Buwerempe - Neighborly Acts

Burewempe 2014 - Monitoring & Evaluation Team

It’s been a week since we arrived in Burewempe – and as you can imagine, we’ve experienced a variety of rewards and challenges as we try to immerse ourselves in village life. The UVP experience is like nothing any of us have experienced before, as not only do we have to adjust to life in Uganda – a feat on its own, but we also have to adjust to living with virtual strangers – hence the challenges. Challenges have emerged as we slowly but surely get to know each other’s quirks and habits while trying to wholeheartedly embrace all the things that make us so different – yet interesting.

We have found however, that the rewards far outweigh the challenges, and we are embracing the things that make village life so quaint – such as going to the borehole to fetch water, playing with the endearing children that always seem to surround our house, and even battling it out for the food with the rats that inhabit our pantry! The thing that we have noticed in the village is that every one – young and old – will always greet us no matter what. Their welcoming and friendly greetings standing in direct contrast with what most of us are accustomed to in our home countries, where most people are reluctant to open their homes and their hearts to complete strangers. But this is what makes living in Buwerempe such an incredible experience – the human factor. Our neighbor John for instance, is extremely observant and after introducing himself and reminding us that his home is always open to us, he noticed that we ‘were suffering for furniture’ (his words), and lo-and-behold, we opened our front door a little while later to see a stack of furniture – from chairs, to tables – which he insisted we use for the rest of the summer.

As a Monitoring and Evaluation team, this summer we will be focusing our efforts on ensuring that the foundation which was laid by previous UVP interns continues to be built upon. We will be collecting data on the state of sanitation and malaria net usage in Buwerempe and using these findings to inform the various sensitization efforts we have planned for this summer. These activities will be undertaken with the help of our wonderful VHTs – who have embraced our presence in the village, as was demonstrated by the naming ceremony they held for us, in which each team member was given a Lusoga name! We know this will continue to be a life-changing experience and are excited about the prospect of making a difference in Buwerempe – no matter how small it may be!

On that note, weraba from Mutesi Ela, Nangobi Stephanie, Wanyana Jasmine, Mukyala Lucy, Kabaale James, and Gabula Jairus, the 2014 Burewempe team!

Meet Loy

Today we introduce you to Loy Tumusiime, our Fistula Coordinator.

Loy came to work with Uganda Village Project (UVP) in 2010 to “help women who are also suffering from fistula because I had experience with it.” Her role has given her opportunities she had never imagined, such as appearing on the national news to talk about fistula and making friends all over eastern Uganda.

Because fistula is stigmatized, women suffering from it often don’t tell other people that they have it, minimizing their chance to get help. Loy, however, is able to tell her story during village outreaches. “Because I suffered from fistula, I had that experience so I know how to talk with them and they come up and share with me,” she says.

Loy lives with her three children (ages 17, 12, and 10) in Iganga. When she’s not working with UVP, she helps another organization teach healthy messages to people in the district…and she’s sure to always include information about fistula in her trainings. The passion that Loy has for her work is obvious when she talks about her job. Eventually, she’d like to go to nursing school in her free time so she can expand how she’s able to care for women. 

Meet the Summer 2014 Interns!

Launch Team - Buwaira

Ana Leticia Nery* is a Brazilian physician. She graduated from the University of Sao Paulo in 2013. She was the Health Coordinator of a NGO that provided health care education and self-empowerment and development solutions to Native Brazilian communities. She currently works as physician on duty of the Emergency Room in a Hospital in one of Sao Paulo’s biggest and most violent slums, a high pressure environment with little resources. As Team Leader of the Launch Team she is more than excited to put to test her ideas and expertise derived from her work in underprivileged communities in Brazil and to learn from the Ugandan reality new things that can be applied in South America or other developing countries.

Kimberly Psaltis has been an RN for over 14 years with an extensive background in diabetes and disease prevention. Currently she is finishing an MPH in Global Maternal and Child Health at the Colorado School of Public Health. After graduating in the spring of 2015 she plans to continue working towards improving access to health care and disease prevention for women and children living in the developing world. In her free time she enjoys traveling with her family, kayaking, homemade pizza, and playing lacrosse with her husband, 11-year-old daughter, and 8-year-old son.  She is honored to have the opportunity to live and work in a village in Uganda as a member of the launch team and being able to learn the needs of the villagers and work towards finding sustainable solutions together.

Manon Billaud currently attends UCLA as a third year Political Science major and double minor in French and Public Health. She has participated in a water brigade in Ghana with her school's Global Water Brigade chapter. Because she loved Ghana and the work she did there so much, Manon returned to Ghana as a Global Health Intern for Global Brigades last summer. She is also an active member and was part of the fundraising committee for UCLA's UNICEF club. Manon is very excited about working with her Launch team members in getting to know the communities as well as exploring the Ugandan culture!

Michael Ervin is a third year political science/international affairs major at the University of California, Riverside. Outside of his studies, he is involved in student government and was recently elected vice-president. He also considers himself somewhat of an artistic person as he likes to sketch and paint. Though it is difficult to narrow down his excitement to one thing in particular, he is driven by a strong sense of adventure and above all, a desire to make a lasting impact. He is honestly looking forward to the work more than anything else. He is someone who likes to be useful and can't imagine how he could spend my summer better in that endeavor.

Kaggwa Keneth* is a finalist student for a Bachelor's degree in Social Work and Social Administration at Kampala University. He loves exploring new skills, places, and ideas in line with societal uplift and development. He enjoys traveling, story-telling, playing cards and mixing music (dee-jaying) during his free time.

Juma (not pictured)

WASH Team - Namunkesu

 Craig Calvert will be a senior at Baylor University. He is studying Environmental Health Science and working towards a minor in religion. He competes with the Baylor Triathlon Club and volunteers with a kids' mentoring program through my church. This summer, he is most excited about experiencing what it is like to live in rural Uganda and learning about practically applying global public health.

Jenessa Gebers is pursuing a Masters in Anthropology at the University of Memphis with a dual concentration in Medical Anthropology and Globalization, Development and Culture.  Her studies focus on human rights, water and sanitation access, international health disparities, sustainable development, and the application of anthropological knowledge to solve real-world problems.  Jenessa is also a Research Assistant for the assessment of the South Memphis Farmers Market, a community-led initiative to increase food access in an urban food desert, and is the Partners In Health | Engage Community Coordinator for the Memphis area.  This summer, Jenessa is most excited to learn from community members about water and sanitation access in Iganga District and to work in an international and interdisciplinary team.

Joshua Lee attends Virginia Tech and is in his 1st year in Master of Urban and Regional Planning, specializing in International Development. Josh is thrilled to be in the Pearl of Africa. Josh has traveled to/lived in Canada, China and South Korea in addition to the good ole USA. Josh is most excited to eat the delicacies of the Pearl of Africa.

Padraic Casserly* is a working professional in the field of global health.  He received his bachelor's degree in biomedical engineering from the University of Wisconsin in 2010 and then went on to complete his master's degree in the same field in May of 2013.  Padraic has been to Africa twice before.  During his first visit, he attended a university in Senegal for a nine-month study abroad program through his undergraduate program.  Then, after completing his undergraduate studies, Padraic returned to Africa, spending nine months in Ghana to conduct public health surveys for Hepatitis A research.  Padraic is most excited to experience African culture from the perspective of rural, village life, as he has only lived in large cities on the continent.

Nakiirya Jackie* attends the Makarere University School of Public Health. Her hobbies are making new friends, dancing, and working with rural communities. She is interested in public health issues concerning hygiene promotion and community empowerment, occupational health and safety issues. 

Wadumaga Daphine

Monitoring & Evaluation Team 1 - Bukaigo 

Ai Mahoney*  is an MPA candidate at the Evans School of Public Affairs at the University of Washington. In her second year, she will be pursuing the Global WACh (women∙adolescent∙children∙health) certificate and a certificate in International Development. This summer, she will be the Team Administration Leader on one of the monitoring, evaluation, & follow-up teams for UVP. She is looking forward to learning about the culture of the people of Iganga, including learning their language Lusoga.

Amy Bradshaw is a MS Epidemiology student at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst and has a BA in International Relations from Mount Holyoke College. She is also a research assistant at an environmental health consultancy. She has enjoyed traveling in the past, and earned degrees in International Relations and Public Health with the hope of traveling and contributing to development work. She excited to participate in hands on public health intervention this summer with the Uganda Village Project. 

Dean Haire is about to begin his second year of graduate school at Emory.  He is getting an MSPH in Global Epidemiology.  He is most excited to be immersed in a foreign culture while applying Public Health concepts on an international scale. 

Namubiru Josephine* is in her final year at Makerere University School of Public Health, pursuing a bachelors’ degree in Environmental Health Science. She is passionate about public health and loves working.

Franc (not pictured)

Monitoring & Evaluation Team 2 - Buvule

Kyle Yoo is from Chicago. He studied Anthropology and Biology at the University of Chicago and will be continuing his education at Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University to pursue his M.D. degree. He has been actively involved with the Chicago Family Health Center, a federally qualified health center, that provides primary care to underserved communities on the South Side of Chicago as a Health Leads volunteer and as an Operations intern.  He is excited to be a part of the Follow Up Team and learn about health on a global stage in person.

Michele Bautista will be entering her 2^nd year as a graduate student at NYU’s Global Institute of Public Health with a concentration in Community and International Health. She received her BA in History and BS in Biology from the University of California, Los Angeles last June. During her time there, she taught health education to low-income high schools as well as worked with the underserved populations of Los Angeles through case management and medical services. Michele is truly excited for the opportunity to serve in Uganda and to put her public health training to good use. Additionally, she is looking forward to working with and learning about the challenges that come with serving as an international health worker.  

Natalie DiRocco* will be assuming the role of Project and Administration Leader for a Follow-Up team for UVP this summer. She is currently a second-year Master of Public Health candidate at the Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH) where she is concentrating in Global Health, with an emphasis on infectious diseases and health program management. Given her interest in addressing emerging infectious diseases, she spent the Spring semester as a Development Intern at AIDS Action Committee; New England’s largest AIDS service organization. She is most excited to engage in challenging, creative work with people from all across the globe as they immerse themselves into the Ugandan culture and together, learn about the rich history of Iganga, Uganda and their community members. 

Susan Linn just finished her first year of medical school at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, SC. While at school, Susan volunteers at a student run medical clinic that serves Charleston's uninsured patient population. Ever since she was a teenager, Susan dreamt of practicing medicine abroad, therefore, she is very excited to spend the summer in Uganda learning what it takes to create effective public health initiatives in low resource areas. 

Ashaba Maggie*

Ssajabi Danson is a second year student pursuing a bachelors degree in Social Work and Social Administration from Kampala University. He is glad to work with UVP and focus much on practical-development skills in rural communities. During his free time, he enjoys playing chess, appreciating nature through nature walks, creating new and maintaining old friends. 

Monitoring & Evaluation Team 3 - Kasambika 1

Hee Won Han is an international student from South Korea. She is a sophomore at Johns Hopkins University and she is majoring in public health studies and minoring in film and media studies. She is a member of JHU global health council and a board member of Asian Health Conference. She is also a member of JHU film society and a board member of studio North, a student run production company. She is very excited to meet everyone in Iganga and is very happy to be a part of evaluation and monitoring team. She thinks that it will be an unforgettable two months and she can’t wait to get started.

Helen Sheppard is a New Zealand Registered Nurse She graduated from the University of Auckland in New Zealand with a Bachelor of Nursing; a Post Graduate Certificate in Health Sciences (Mental Health); and most recently completed a Post Graduate Diploma in Health Sciences. She currently works in Starship Children's Hospital caring for children with complex medical health issues, and their families. She looks forward to working with her teammates as a part of a Follow up team. She looks forward to gaining an insight into the real life experiences of healthcare, health promotion and education, in a rural setting, and the successes and challenges of such. 

Mindy Huang is a rising senior at Colorado College. She is majoring in Sociology with minors in Asian Studies and Studio Art. Outside of the classroom, she can be found volunteering with conservation or political organisations with a focus on community and youth engagement. She is extremely excited to spend her summer building on her knowledge of public health, while making a difference and creating wonderful memories with some amazing people in Iganga.

Reese Cuddy* is a full-time student pursuing a Master of Public Health degree with a Community Health concentration at the University of New Mexico.  In 2009, Reese graduated from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, California with a B.S. in Natural Science with an emphasis in Physical Therapy. While traveling abroad, she realized that her clinical background would not satisfy her passion for promoting social justice.  The boundless field of Public Health can offer Reese the lifetime of influential service that she has been searching for. Her public health interest at the moment is International Nutrition and the rising issue of global population growth and how it will affect a sustainable food supply.

Ashraf* (Not pictured)

Isiko Philip

Monitoring & Evaluation Team 4 - Kasambika 2

Chelsea Powell* graduated from Cornell University with a double major in Russian and Biology.  She likes to hike, read, and travel.  She is excited to learn about initiating and monitoring sustainable village-level public health programs.

Emily Gentile is an undergraduate student at the George Washington University where she is majoring in public health and minoring in dance.  She is an EMT with GW's Emergency Medical Response Group, and volunteers as a Leadership Council Member with Peer Health Exchange.  Emily is most excited about learning more about public health in low resource communities, as well as working with and learning from the other UVP interns this summer.

Jiana Calixto is a 23 year-old Puerto Rican raised in Chicago, primarily in the Humboldt Park community. Currently, she attends the University of Illinois at Chicago as a 2^nd year Masters in Public Health candidate in the School of Public Health. Her concentration is in Community Health Sciences and Global Health. She serves on the executive board of Global Health Student Initiative Group, which has a primary goal of global health awareness amongst the UIC community. Jiana is extremely excited to have the opportunity to be immersed in a different culture this summer surrounded by the people of Uganda and interns from around the world. Most importantly, she looks forward to monitoring, evaluating, and improving current UVP programs to enhance its effectiveness, sustainability, and the health of the Iganga District villagers.  

Lauryn Hong is a recent graduate of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (Go Blue!) with degrees in International Studies (with a focus in Global Health) and Environmental Studies. She was a member of U of M's GlobeMed chapter, an organization that advocates for global health equity, and Asian InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. During her last year of undergrad, she completed an independent study in which she examined the intersection between HIV/AIDS education and religious leaders in Zambia, and spent a month in Ghana studying the prevalence of river blindness. Lauryn is excited to experience Ugandan culture, develop friendships with the other interns and Ugandans, and promote healthy living where she'll be working!

Musisi James*









Andrew (not pictured)

Monitoring & Evaluation Team 5 - Buwurempe

Ela Mema is currently a graduate student completing her MA in Health Policy and Equity at York University in Toronto, Canada. Her research interests lie in the poverty reduction strategies that are being developed in Ontario and the short-comings they convey by not taking into consideration the social determinants of health. In her spare time, she enjoys yoga, reading and volunteering at a local nursing home. She is thrilled to be joining the UVP team this summer in Uganda, and is looking forward making a difference in the village where she will be working – no matter how small – and the amazing people she will be meeting throughout.

 Jasmine Kipke is a junior at the University of Michigan, studying neuroscience and Spanish. She is the vice president of the campus UNICEF club and enjoys being involved in Michigan’s club running team. Global health is her passion, especially when it comes to Uganda; the country has a special place in her heart because it’s where her youngest siblings are from. She’s excited to dive into Ugandan culture this summer, to form relationships with local people, to learn about public health and leading health initiatives – and to hopefully grow as a person and a leader!  She knows there will be challenges, but she is ready for the adventure and can’t wait for Uganda to feel like home.

Lucy Wu* is a young kiwi coming from New Zealand where she works as a public health nurse for the Auckland Regional Public Health Service. She has recently been studying a postgraduate diploma in public health through the University of Auckland. Later in this year she will be moving to Finland to start her masters in public health at the University of Eastern Finland. As New Zealand is on the southern hemisphere Lucy will be escaping the rainy winter and enjoying some african warmth while in Uganda. She is excited to meet the villagers as well as the other interns and is ready to experience the culture and take in the beauty of Uganda. 

Stephanie Ayers is a graduate student at the Josef Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver in Denver, Colorado. She is currently midway through a two-year graduate program, working toward a Master’s degree in International Development and a graduate certificate in Global Health Affairs. She is the student leader of Santé, a global health student group, and a member of Students for Africa. This summer, she is most excited about gaining her first real-world experiences in the field of global health, and about visiting Africa for the first time!

Muleme James* 








Jarius (not pictured)


* denotes team leaders

Health fair celebrates three years in Bulamagi Village

In 2011, Uganda Village Project brought on three Healthy Villages. Last week, after three years of programming, it was time to celebrate their accomplishments, recognize the Village Health Team (VHT) members for their hard work, and empower these three communities to continue improving health on their own. We do this at a community health fair: a busy day in the village where we invite multiple partner organizations, offer health services and education, and share the results from the three years of work. During the last fair in Bulamagi Village, hundreds of people came for health services, drawn in by the mobilization earlier that week and the blaring music from the speakers that morning. 

Health center staff test for HIV and malaria

Men, women, and children were tested for malaria and HIV by health center staff and St. Mary’s—our local community-based organization partner. While they waited for their results, UVP’s Fistula Coordinator gathered small groups of women together to teach them about fistula. Young adults were tested by for HIV and STIs by Marie Stopes, an international organization. The testing kits and staff brought from Marie Stopes dramatically increased the number of people we were able to test and educate during the fairs, because in the past we’ve been limited by supplies and staff capacity. Marie Stopes also offered family planning services to women of all ages, and left everyone with a free hotline number to call for any health questions. A partner organization promoted a water filter to give families a new option to keep their drinking water safe. Health center staff vaccinated mothers and babies for their regular immunizations and gave deworming and Vitamin A pills to children.

HIV counseling by Marie Stopes

The kids had their own kind of mobilization throughout the village. After getting their deworming pills, the health center staff drew big X’s on the kids’ hands in red marker. Troops of kids left the fair with their hands proudly marked, and would arrive back later with a larger group of friends who made their way over to stand in line, chew their pills, and have their hands marked too. A few kids stopped in horror near the table, assuming they were getting a vaccination, but once they saw their friends walk away with a mouthful of sweetened pills, they quickly lined up for their chance.

Promoting healthy messages

Throughout the fair, a health center employee made announcements about what kinds of services are available at the local health center and UVP and Marie Stopes staff members talked about healthy living. Having health center staff provide the services during the fair helps get community members accustomed to them, and instead of feeling intimidated, next time they need to access services at the health center, they’ll be more likely to go.

A drama group engages the audience

In the afternoon, a drama group performed a skit about household hygiene. While this may not sound very entertaining, the audience loved it, and the actors hammed it up while presenting an important message about keeping your family safe from disease by taking preventative measures.

When the play ended, we had speeches from UVP staff, a representative from the VHTs, and local district officials. We gave certificates and soap to the VHTs, thanked the community for their efforts, and encouraged continued progress.

Dancing in celebration

The celebration turned into a dance party, with VHTs leading the way and soon an entire throng of women and kids jumped to the beat in the center of the fair. We pulled the last of the tents down just as it started to pour rain, hiding under the eaves of a house with VHTs and several other villagers who stayed too late to get home before the rain.

Even though this health fair officially marked the end of our work in Bulamagi Village, we will still maintain relationships with community members. The women have decided to pay to continue bringing the family planning nurse to Bulamagi every three months to provide contraceptives. UVP staff members frequently get stopped in town or receive phone calls from former Healthy Village community members asking questions or wanting advice. The well we built with the community’s help will continue to provide safe water for families, and health center services will seem less intimidating and more accessible. We’re proud of the work the community put into the past three years, and we look forward to updates as they maintain these improvements on their own.

Meet Titus

Our latest “meet the staff” features Titus Obbo, UVP Program Coodinator.

Titus started working for Uganda Village Project (UVP) in 2008 as part of the team that conducted a baseline survey in all 70 of our current and future Healthy Villages. Afterwards, he stayed behind to continue working with UVP on a safe water project. Over time, Titus had more tasks added to his role as he helped with hygiene and sanitation and eventually HIV and malaria within the Healthy Villages Program.

“What I like best about my job is that it’s challenging; it makes me think and try to create solutions to a number of challenges that arise. It lets me be creative,” Titus said when asked about his work. He also likes that the entire staff team works together and steps in for one another, which he says isn’t common around Uganda. Titus’s background is not in public health—he was monitoring the universal primary school program in Uganda before coming to UVP—but in his six years with UVP he’s learned practical experience in public health and it has given him an appreciation for issues Ugandans deal with on a daily basis.

When not at work, Titus spends time with his family. He’s married with three kids ages 7, 4, and 1 ½, and his extended family is in Iganga District, so he often spends time in the village with them. He also enjoys reading motivational books, including Banker to the Poor, about pioneering microfinance leader Muhammad Yunus. We’re glad to have Titus and his steady presence in our office!

Meet Maureen

Our latest “meet the staff” features Maureen Nakalinzi, UVP Program Manager.

Maureen outside the UVP office

Maureen grew up with a passion for helping people and serving her community. While studying at Makerere University, she began volunteering as an intern with UVP and developed her interest in public health. She was a UVP intern each summer from 2005 until 2008, making her an early member of the UVP family! After university, Maureen worked as the program manager of a women’s empowerment program focusing on incoming generating projects. Maureen has been working full time with UVP since 2011. She is the program manager for the Family Planning program and works with Loy on the management and data for the fistula program. In addition to her program activities, Maureen helps manage the internship program and keeps the office running smoothly.

Maureen is passionate about reproductive health. She finds fulfillment in providing services that are greatly needed by the women in the communities. She enjoys meeting and engaging with Village Health Teams and community members. Maureen says she likes her job because “UVP gives you the opportunity to try out new ideas for improving programs and allows you to make your mark on the program. As staff, you can start with an idea and a concept paper and follow it all the way through implementation and follow up.”

The best thing that has happened while she’s been at UVP has been the expansion of the family planning program. Maureen says “Now UVP is providing a long term method, the implant, during our outreaches. We will also able to add cervical cancer screening to our family planning program with the help from newly trained government nurses.”

When not working, Maureen serves on two boards: the International Community Empowerment Fund (ICEF) and Nazareth Children’s Home. She loves working with children, and in every town she lives in she gets involved at the local baby’s home and teaches Sunday school. When asked one thing that readers might not know about her, Maureen shared that she danced ballet while in school and likes ballroom dancing. 

UVP Rides

Being a Volunteer Health Team (VHT) member is an important job in the communities where UVP works. These members are members of the community and are trained to assist their fellow community members with basic health problems, helping them get to the facilities they need. They also help collect data and mobilizing organize activities for UVP and the district.

An organization called FABIO, with support from Cope Africa, has begun work in Iganga and is offering additional support for VHTs. FABIO is an environmental organization that promotes riding bicycles as opposed to other fuel-consuming modes of transportation. They have worked in Kampala, Kamuli, Jinja and are expanding their work to Iganga. The major objectives for this project are to support the VHTs in their community activities by providing subsidized bicycles and offering training to VHTs on health and environmental issues. They began their work in 2 sub-counties in Iganga- Nambale and Nawandala. UVP was happy to find out that some of our VHTs would have the opportunity to purchase a subsidized bicycle.

Titus, UVP staff member, attended the bicycle distribution event. Excitement was in the air in Nawandala sub county headquarters when the 164 bicycles were given to the VHTs.

Titus sat down with two of our VHTs who bought bicycles:

“By getting this bicycle from FABIO, my work has been simplified because am now able to reach many more households in my community than before. It will also save my time when am doing VHT work especially mobilization for family planning and HIV out reaches as well as home visits to our patients that have been referred and are on treatment. I thank Fabio and their donors for this support” .

- Nandase Zabina

“As the VHT chair person in Nambale Sub County, we are grateful and happy to get these bicycles. Our work is going to be done on time because we have our own transport. I think now our quarterly meeting and health center visits are going to increase. The bicycles have increased our motivation levels to work and we appreciate FABIO for giving us the bicycles.”

- Sagaire Malijani.

Titus engaged with the Fabio staff, thanked them for their work and encouraged them to continue their work in the other subcounties in Iganga. We hope to see even more of our VHTs have this opportunity to reach out to the members of their communities and continue their good work. 

Meet Patrick

We are highlighting our hardworking and talented staff in our newsletter over the next few months. If you don't get the UVP newsletter, please email info@ugandavillageproject.org or click here to sign up. In case you missed the latest issue, here's our first article featuring Tulibagenyi Patrick--UVP's Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Program Manager.

Patrick is married and a proud father to one boy named Conrad. He also leads a children's marching band. Intrigued? Read on.

Patrick worked as a classroom teacher before moving to media where he was a manager of a local radio station. Patrick entered the NGO world in 2005, working directly with communities implementing health related activities. He's well-prepared for all these roles with a diploma in project planning and management and a degree in mass communication. In 2007, he started working with UVP on a part-time basis and was hired full-time in 2008 as the Shallow Well Project Coordinator. Besides the shallow well project, he helps support the internship program and other administrative tasks. Patrick also writes stories for the monthly newsletter.

Patrick likes his job because it has exposed him to many people of different walks of life both locally and internationally, giving him a global understanding of humanity and how best to help disadvantaged communities. During Patrick’s stay with UVP, he has seen it steadily grow: from one in-country staff person to six staff members, from a 15 square foot office room to a small office duplex, and above all, year by year helping more than 50 communities access safe water sources.

Besides working with UVP, Patrick manages a music project for children, plays the guitar and piano, and enjoys swimming. His dream career is movie making.

A Team Effort for a New Life Free from Fistula

Written by: Leslie Stroud-Romero, UVP Executive Director

The first fistula camp of 2014 started in mid-January. I got the chance to visit Kamuli Mission Hospital and meet some of the women who were there for surgery, as well as one of the surgeons from the UK Childbirth Injuries Fund. It was a long and tiring trip to get to the hospital. Uganda Village Project (UVP) identifies women from all over Uganda’s eastern region to take for surgeries, and without these efforts, the women would never be able to make it to the hospital. 

I asked Loy, UVP’s fistula coordinator, how long most of the women who were there had been suffering with fistula before coming for surgery. “Some just a short time, but more often 20, 30, or more years,” she said, confirming what I’d suspected when visiting the women, many of whom looked middle-aged. I followed up by asking whether they hadn’t come for surgery earlier because they didn’t know it’s curable. “Sometimes,” said Loy, “but most don’t come because they don’t have the funds for transport.” 

There are very few facilities capable of handling fistula surgeries, and so women must travel several hours to be helped. They live each day leaking urine or feces because they lack the small amount that it would take to get them to the hospital, and can’t afford to bring food or necessities with them to the hospital. That’s where UVP and the UK Childbirth Injuries Fund step in. We identify women in very rural villages who suffer with fistula, cover their transport for the long, dusty ride to the hospital, and then provide a food allowance while they are there. Loy looks after them—her caring nature was evident in the way she spoke with the women and they came to her with problems—and then volunteer surgeons from the UK work in partnership with Ugandan staff to heal women through surgery. Each surgery takes just an hour or two: such a short time after years of dealing with the results of a fistula. 

The surgeon I met, Dr. Glyn Constantine, was a friendly guy who had just a short time to talk between patients. Without his support, and that of his colleagues, we wouldn’t be able to provide these surgeries to women. They say it takes a village to raise a child, and during my visit to the hospital I saw that it takes a community to support a woman in need. From the Fistula Foundation that has helped us extend our outreach efforts, to our donors who provide the much-needed funds to transport the patients, our staff who care so deeply about these women, the Ugandan hospital staff at Kamuli who assist in surgery and healing, and the dedicated UK doctors who use their skills to heal—they all came together this month to help 17 women head home in two weeks with the opportunity to start a new life free from fistula. 

Edited by: Tiffany Hsieh

Behind the scenes: Community Sanitation Meeting

Written by: Leslie Stroud-Romero, UVP Executive Director

Edited by: Tiffany Hsieh

When we use the toilet, we flush away all traces of our waste. In many of our Healthy Villages, a lack of latrines means that villagers are confronted daily with evidence of waste. Uganda Village Project’s (UVP) sanitation campaigns highlight the problem of “open defecation” and other unhygienic practices, and then offer solutions to building a healthier community. I was at a recent community meeting to introduce a sanitation campaign for one of our 2013 Healthy Villages. Kasambika 1 is very rural. The road to get there went from paved, to dirt, to a skinny dirt road, to really more of a footpath by the time we reached the meeting site.

UVP staff members traveled there to talk about the sanitation campaign. Before this meeting, UVP had already worked with the Village Health Team members to ensure that their households had proper sanitation facilities in place, which include a latrine with door, a bathing room, a plate stand to hygienically dry dishes in the sun, a trash pit, and a “tippy tap”—or hand washing station. The Village Health Team members will now be responsible for encouraging their neighbors to improve their sanitation practices and facilities, but we wanted to gather everyone for a community meeting first. UVP’s staff member Obbo Titus engaged the participants and, although I understood very little of what was said, it was clear that although they were talking about diarrhea, cleanliness, and piles of waste, the women and men had a great time as they laughed at jokes and nodded in understanding. Titus also shared the results of the baseline sanitation survey that our 2013 summer interns conducted to show them the progress they made from six months ago. 

Titus at the sanitation meeting

During the next three months, Village Health Teams will sell subsidized materials so that their neighbors can build tippy taps. They will consult about proper latrine construction, and lend a hand when cleaning up compounds. The purpose of the UVP sanitation campaigns is to educate or remind villagers about proper hygiene and sanitation, such as why using a latrine is important and how washing hands prevents disease. We do this by helping community members see the problem and then encouraging them to work together for the goal of a healthier community. No one wants to be the only person on the road without a latrine, and people want their compounds to look nice with a functioning tippy tap on site.

Our 2014 summer interns will evaluate the success of the project by identifying the improved sanitation facilities at each household, but if the meeting last week was any indication, it seems that Kasambika 1 is well on its way to making community-wide healthy changes.