Accepting Applications for Summer Public Health & International Development Internship in Uganda - Summer 2013

About Uganda Village Project

The Uganda Village Project (UVP) is an international public health organization that works with people of Iganga to promote public health and sustainable development in the rural communities of Iganga, in southeast Uganda.

Summer 2013 Internship Opportunity

We are currently accepting applications for our Summer 2013 internship program. Interns spend 8-9 weeks living and working in a village in rural Iganga District, Uganda, gaining experience in public health, community education, and international development. Interns work in diverse teams composed of Ugandan and non-Ugandan team members. Interns will have the opportunity to participate in a variety of activities in several focus areas, including water, sanitation, HIV/AIDS, nutrition, malaria, and reproductive health. 

Learn more about our internship program here: http://www.ugandavillageproject.org/get-involved/summer-internships/

Intern Qualifications

We are looking for individuals who are passionate and have experience in public health, medicine, or international development. We give extra consideration to individuals who have prior experience working in developing and low-resource settings. Ideal applicants are those who have a strong interest in development and/or global health and are looking for a cross-cultural and entrepreneurial opportunity to work in a rural setting. All interns must be at least 18 years old. Historically, interns have come from all around the world as medical students, graduate students, undergraduate students, and professionals. 

Internship Program Dates

• Team Leaders: Monday, June 17, 2013 – Tuesday, August 20, 2013 (9 weeks)
• All Interns: Thursday, June 20, 2013 – Saturday, August 17, 2013 (8 weeks)

Internship Fundraising Requirement

Once accepted, all interns are required to fundraise $2,000 USD for UVP, in addition to a deposit of $500 USD. The deposit is refundable upon successful completion of the program. This sum includes a donation towards UVP's programs in Uganda as well as pick-up and drop-off at Entebbe Airport, orientation costs, room and board, in-country transportation, food, and Uganda-based staffing costs. All interns are required to individually purchase airfare to and from Entebbe Airport in Uganda.

Application Deadline

The deadline for applications for the Summer 2013 internship is February 1, 2013 at 11:59PM PST. In order to apply, there are two steps:

• 1) Complete the online application at http://bit.ly/SbEItX
• 2) Submit your CV and essay questions via email to internships@ugandavillageproject.org — instructions on both are on the last page of the online application

Questions? 

Email us at internships@ugandavillageproject.org
Learn more about the internship: http://www.ugandavillageproject.org/get-involved/summer-internships/
Visit us at http://www.ugandavillageproject.org.
Follow us on twitter: @uvp

Mosquito Control District From Utah Sponsors Malaria Prevention in Uganda!

by Gary Hatch

 I am the director of a mosquito control district in Utah.  We have had an education program in the elementary schools in our county for many years.  Currently about 5,000 elementary students go through our program each year. Katie Albornoz was a seasonal employee for our district and also studying  Public Health at the University of Utah.  For her internship she wanted to work with the district to enhance our education program and do something that would have an impact on malaria.   She started Students Against Malaria (S.A.M.).  We started teaching in the high school and middle school science classes about mosquitoes and other insects that spread disease and discussed malaria at length in the lesson.  

 
Katie had volunteers from each school that raised money for one week in February, 2012 to buy bed nets.  All funds raised by the students went toward the bed net purchase.  She obtained corporate sponsors to cover the cost of operation and to send two people to Uganda.  Katie and a science teacher, Reece Gurney, from the school that raised the most money were to go.  Because Katie gave birth to a son just a couple of weeks before we were to travel,  I was able to make the trip in her place.

We felt it was important for us to see firsthand the great work of the Uganda Village Project (UVP) and also see the issues that they face.  The UVP staff was wonderful to work with and very accommodating.  They took us into a number of villages and taught us the many aspects of the programs that they are trying to implement.  We were able to make a tippy tap, visit a recovering fistula patient, see the sanitation work being implemented and talk to villagers about the shallow well that UVP helped build.

The bed net program was our greatest interest and we were able to see how the program is administered and participate with them as nets were distributed in a few villages.  We went with a few of the VHT’s to do inspections on homes to make sure the nets are being used and used properly.

Uganda is a beautiful country with wonderful people.  Our visit there was a life changing experience and gave us greater resolve to continue to work with UVP and grow S.A.M.  It truly helped us understand the great work being done by UVP and showed us that we can make a difference in the lives of individuals. We are currently looking for another intern for this next year and are trying to add more schools to the program.  We look forward to our continued relationship with the Uganda Village Project.

Board Position Available: Marketing & Communications Chair

Use your marketing expertise to make a meaningful impact in the lives of rural Ugandans. The Uganda Village project is seeking a Marketing & Communications Chair to join our Board of Directors.

Responsibilities

- Publicity & media relations
- Create and manage marketing collateral
- Collaborate with in-country staff on e-newsletters, communications to volunteers
- Lead donor appeals
- Social Media (blog, Twitter, Facebook, etc.)
- Create and manage program documents (manuals, forms, etc.)
- Participate in monthly executive board meetings.

All Executive Board members are expected to participate in the annual executive board member meeting and commit to minimum fundraising requirements.

Experience

Marketing and communications professionals with a minimum of 2 years of professional marketing experience in a non-profit or corporate capacity. Knowledge and access to Adobe Creative Suite (InDesign, Photoshop) is desired, but not necessary.

To apply, please send a resume, brief cover letter and professional writing sample to director@ugandavillageproject.org to apply. Further questions are welcomed. – Estimated time commitment 4 hours/week. This is a volunteer position.

Ensuring Safe Access to Water

Patrick Bakulambe 68, is a resident of Kazigo A village, one of UVP’s newly launched Healthy Villages. Bakulambe took some time out of his garden to take us around the village showing us the places where his family gets water for domestic use.

Kazigo A is one of the many villages in Iganga district that falls below 60 % access to safe water. Though they have 3 government bore holes and one shallow well sunk by the Red Cross, the plush green vastness of the village keeps the east side secluded from amenities. They walk for over a kilometer to fetch water at the shallow well and two kilometres to the closest borehole. When it’s too tiring to carry the heavy jerrycans, the villagers from the east side of Kazigo A are forced to get water from open wells that surround their homes.

A well in the east part of the village will allow 80 households, that is a population of about 500-600 people to have access to safe water. UVP is currently working in Kazigo A to increase their sanitation levels, with increased sanitation levels (i.e. increased latrine coverage, tippy taps, plate stands and trash pits), infectious diseases can be prevented. In the future, we hope to provide the north side of the village with a UVP shallow well ensuring they have safe access to water.

Stories from the Field: Family Planning Services in Kidaago A

By Maureen Nakalinzi 

Kidaago A is one of our Healthy Villages located in Nambale Subcounty in Iganga District. Because this village is far away from the road, accessing health services like family planning is very difficult since women have to walk very long distances to access these services. When we told them we will be conducting family planning outreaches, they were so excited and grateful. On the day of the outreach, we found them already lined up because they were afraid that the medicines will not be enough and some of them would miss out. However, we informed them that we had enough supplies to cover them. Thanks to the people who donate generously for these programs, we are able to extend both short term and long term family planning services to these women and men in this remote village.  

Now Accepting Applications for January - February 2013 interns!

Uganda Village Project: Now Accepting Applications for January - February 2013 Interns!

About Uganda Village Project

The Uganda Village Project (UVP) is an international public health organization that works with people of Iganga to promote public health and sustainable development in the rural communities of Iganga, in southeast Uganda. The organization represents a network of partnerships bridging disciplines and sectors working to innovate and support locally specific solutions that draw together multiple stakeholders for results-based programming.

Visit us at http://www.ugandavillageproject.org.

January-February 2013 Internship Opportunity

We are currently accepting applications for the January-February 2013 internship program. Interns spend 6 weeks working with rural communities in Uganda to help implement sanitation, nutrition, and/or public health monitoring & evaluation programs. As interns, you will work and live in teams in a villages that are part of our "Healthy Villages" program which addresses the most pressing healthcare concerns of each community.

Our interns work in teams made up of 4 international interns and 2 Ugandan interns. These teams will do a variety of activities which may include the following:

• Conduct a follow-up needs assessment
• Gather feedback through community meetings on previous work
• Conduct health care initiatives of their own (e.g., HIV/AIDS testing days, Safe Water Education days)
• Work with sub-county and district officials to improve medicine supply chains
• Organize multiple healthcare initiatives (often working in collaboration with other NGOs, CBOs, and government officials)
• Work with local health centers to which their village is assigned

You can read more details, photos, and FAQs about our internship program here: http://bit.ly/uQwGHi

Intern Qualifications

We are looking for individuals who are passionate and have experience in public health, medicine, or international development. We give extra consideration to individuals who have prior experience working in developing and low-resource settings. Ideal applicants are those who have a strong interest in development and/or global health and are looking for a cross-cultural and entrepreneurial opportunity to work in a rural setting.

We accept undergraduate and graduate students (over 18 years of age) and professionals. Past volunteers have come from a wide range of disciplines, including, but not limited to pre-medical, medical, pre-law, law, anthropology, agriculture, economics, nursing, pharmacy, engineering, and public health students, as well as nurses, doctors, engineers, and business professionals.

Internship Program Dates

January 8, 2013 - February 19, 2013

Internship Fundraising Requirement

Once accepted, all interns are required to fundraise $1,500 USD for UVP, in addition to a deposit of $500, for a total of $2,000 USD. The deposit is refundable upon successful completion of the program. This sum includes a donation towards UVP’s programs in Uganda as well as pick-up and drop-off at Entebbe Airport, orientation costs, room and board, in-country transportation, food, and Uganda-based staffing costs. All interns are required to individually purchase airfare to and from Entebbe Airport in Uganda.

Application Deadline

The deadline for applications for the January-February 2013 internship November 27, 2012. In order to apply, there are two steps:

• 1) Complete the online application at http://bit.ly/SbEItX
• 2) Submit your CV and essay questions via email to internships (at) ugandavillageproject.org — instructions on both are on the last page of the online application

Questions? Email us at internships (at) ugandavillageproject.org 

Follow us on twitter: @uvp

Calling for Board Position Applications -- Assistant Director & Marketing/Communications Chair!

The Uganda Village Project is excited to open applications for two volunteers to join our Board of Directors -- the Assistant Director of the Board and the Marketing & Communications Chair. Read below for details!

ABOUT THE UGANDA VILLAGE PROJECT

Our Vision
We envision a future in which all Ugandan communities will have the means to effectively create and implement their own health and development solutions.

Our Mission
To facilitate community health and well-being in rural Uganda through improved access, education, and prevention.

We strive to uphold this mission in the following ways:

• Working on project development in collaboration with our local non-governmental and governmental partners in Iganga District, as well as the communities involved in the projects
• Advocating for community health and development through networking inside and outside the district, and supporting efforts on the ground by local partners
• Focusing on understanding the epidemiology and etiology of public health problems in Iganga in order to inform and support direct service projects
• Sustainable public health and development programs that have real impact in communities
• Culturally-appropriate project design
• Interdisciplinary long and short term volunteer teams of professionals and students which seek to support on the ground efforts of Uganda Village Project and its partners
• Learning about and experiencing the culture and daily lives of the Ugandan people
• In-depth planning, development, and evaluation to ensure outcomes are achieved

Our Goals
Our goals reflect each of our areas of focus: healthcare, clean water, orphan support, and capacity building.

• Expand awareness regarding HIV/AIDS among at-risk populations in Iganga District
• Increase availability of sustainable clean water solutions for communities who are currently lacking them
• Improve the living conditions of HIV orphans in Iganga District
• Create opportunity for pre-professional and professional students and other skilled volunteers from resource-rich countries to visit a resource-limited country and get hands-on clinical experience and exposure to issues in public health/tropical medicine
• Support provision of healthcare and preventive health education to underserved populations in Iganga
• Continue to build an effective public health NGO that assists local governmental and non-governmental partners in achieving sustainable programming goals using international resources

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR - Estimated time commitment 8-12 hours/week

- Assist Director with responding to e-mail inquiries regarding the organization, maintain and respond to all e-mails received at the organizational account;

- Organize annual and monthly meetings of officers, and attending such meetings whenever possible. Leading the meeting in the absence of the Director;

- Leadership of officers in coordination with Director to delegate tasks and ensure that tasks are successfully accomplished;

- Help officers to accomplish tasks by looking for and brainstorming opportunities for organizational growth, raising awareness/publicity , achieving fundraising goals, strengthening donor and alumni relations;

- Assist in website development and helping to update web communication mechanisms such as Twitter, Facebook, and our blog regularly;

- Act as co-admin for e-mail lists and online groups;

- Edit organizational materials such as manuals, brochures, and reports;

- Respond to weekly reports and urgent notices sent from Uganda-based staff and weighing in on decisions and discussions on the officers' email list;

- Assist Director with organizational human resources management as needed.

- Raise or donate at least $1000 towards UVP’s work in Uganda

- Participate in monthly executive board member meetings;

- Participate in the annual executive board member meeting.



MARKETING / COMMUNICATIONS CHAIR – Estimated time commitment 4 hours/week

- Maintain general documents used by the organization;

- Build on current organizational memory processes such as project area manuals, orientation manuals, administrative documents;

- Actively pursue ways to increase publicity for the organization through online and print media and other means;

- Respond to queries from outside individuals such as journalists who request information from us;

- Creating and updating all publicity materials (press releases, pamphlets, program summary sheets, etc.) for donors, volunteers, and partner organizations;

- Collaborating with in-country staff on e-newsletters to members of our contact list to share UVP's current work and progress;

- Update the organizational blog and social media with publicity announcements, including weekly posts on the blog, Twitter, and Facebook page;

- Raise or donate at least $1000 towards UVP’s work in Uganda

- Participate in monthly executive board member meetings;

- Participate in the annual executive board member meeting.

HOW TO APPLY
Please send your resume, a brief cover letter, and a short list of references to director@ugandavillageproject.org to apply. Further questions are welcomed.

Stories from the Field: Fistula Patient's Success

By Maureen Nakalinzi 


As we approach her house, we find her waiting for us at the door. She informs us she was going to her stall in the trading center when Loy called, informing her of this follow-up visit. N. Maliza attended the fistula camp last year in December and luckily for her, the repair was successful. When she left the camp, she got a small loan from her friends at the trading center and restarted her vegetable selling business that she was forced to close down when she got the fistula. She says, “Every day when I wake up the morning to a dry bed, and when I pack my vegetables to go to the market, I thank God and Uganda Village Project for giving me a new lease of life and for reaching out to me when I had lost all hope."

Final Thoughts on the Summer - Kazigo A

By Derek Bunch

The final week in Kazigo A brought about a mixture of tears and smiles. The last week was dedicated to celebrating with all of the village members who had generously helped our team this summer.  This appreciation was extended to our Village Health Team (VHT), The Kazigo A drama team, and our wonderful cook, Harriet. For each event we cooked the entire meal and surprised our guests with such things as guacamole and mango salsa, which was a first for many. Our dinners with the drama team and Harriet ended with the sound of drums, and some local traditional dance. The drama team was very helpful in teaching Lindsey, Sara and I to “move our hips.” This basically consisted of them grabbing us by the waist and twisting our hips for us while the onlookers cheered on our efforts. The most meaningful aspect of all of these dinners came from the immense amounts of love and appreciation that the villagers showed us. This final week was an encouraging indicator of the positive influence our team had made in the village and on the village residents.  Tears were not only shed by us but by the villagers as well. Our Village Health Team dinner was particularly emotional. Muzungu our very long-winded VHT member told a story comparing our relationship to a wedding ring given to a lover and how that ring will always belong to the owner and if that person asks for it back then you must give it back even though you still love the person. He explained that even though they love us and want us to stay, that they must let us leave, or in turn “give our ring back”. 

Our team had a very successful summer in Kazigo A. By the end of the summer we had held sensitization events on malaria, family planning, safe water, sanitation and hygiene, and eye care. In addition to these activities we hosted an HIV/STD drama and testing day and coordinated a borehole cleanup day among the community. Our team sold 210 insecticide treated bed nets, sold 40 tablets of Waterguard, and distributed four boxes of condoms. Our sanitation push was a success in constructing 47 tippy taps, 9 plate stands, and 10 latrine covers. We also helped to improve 5 tippy taps, 3 trash pits, and 3 plate stands. However, our most important accomplishment this summer were the strong relationships we built with the community and the positive name we made for the Uganda Village Project.

I speak on behalf of the entire Kazigo A team when I express my appreciation for the people, the residents, our friends in Kazigo A. The lessons we bring home with us will be with us for the rest of our lives. The friendships and relationships we built and the experiences are unforgettable and will provide a framework for any of our future endeavors. I want to say thanks to the entire Uganda Village Project in-country staff for all of their help this summer. We hope that our work this summer will enable them to continue the positive progress in Kazigo A. Lastly, I want to say thanks to the entire Kazigo A intern team. I had the pleasure to have worked with some of the most amazing individuals I have met in my life. This experience was unique, in that not only did we work together everyday for ten weeks but we also lived together in a house the size of many people's living room. Our team came together to accomplish a huge number of tasks this summer and we had fun in the process. With Sara’s acrobatics for the kids, Lindsey constantly trying to explain that her name was not Sharon, Naomi’s amazing cooking, and Felix’s computer, we never had a dull moment in our village. So thank you again team for an amazing summer, and thank you Uganda Village Project for enabling us to have this experience. Keep up the good work.

Community Total Lead Sanitation Update

                                                                                                                  
By Titus Obbo

This summer UVP developed a new approach for community involvement in the Community Total Lead Sanitation (CTLS) program. Kidaago B is experiencing a new way in the community life. UVP interns this summer helped out to clean the bore hole together with community members. The Village Health Team and Water User Committee have set up the calendar for hygiene and sanitation in the community and defined the governing rules intended to phase out poor facilities and install hygienic ones in households. In particular, dirty jerri cans and buckets will not be allowed for use of collecting water at the well. 

Collaboration with UVP has resulted in a cascaded effect down to the households where members have waged a war against open defecation by digging pit latrines. The village has clustered households in groups of ten to help each other build a good pit latrine that can last for at least more than 15 years given the nature of the soil texture.


UVP would like to thank its interns this summer as well as donors and broader UVP family for their hard work and support!

Titus Obbo is UVP's Safe Water and Healthy Villages Program Coordinator. Titus is a graduate of Makerere University with a degree in Human Resource Management.