It has been quite some time since ive updated this blog, (daddy and mims im updating it now just for you)!

A lot has happened since the rural homestay.  After our 3 week excursion to Rwanda and western Uganda, we came back to Kampala for 3 weeks to take Luganda language classes in the mornings and elective courses in the afternoons. We chose one out of three different electives related to health issues and development in Uganda: grassroots development, gender, or public health.  I decided to study Public Health and it turned out to be really interesting.  The first week we had lectures about the different health issues in Uganda, which were okay, kinda dull and a lot of the lectures were just reviews of information that Ive already learned.  But the second week I felt like a learned a lot because we went on many site visits the whole time and actually got to meet with doctors, patients, nurses, healers, etc.  We got to see health clinics, landfills, a recycling center, and meet traditional healers (a spiritualist and a bone setter).  Visiting the spiritualist and bone setter was so interesting. Over 60% of Ugandans use traditional healing as their primary source of health care, which I find so fascinating.  Many Ugandans use traditional healing because of affordability and accessibility, especially in rural areas throughout Uganda where going to the nearest health clinic or hospital is too far that many have no choice but to turn to healers.  Often patients spend entire days traveling to the nearest health center to find that medication/supplies are out of stock which discourages them to rely on the biomedical field altogether. Over the past month, I’ve seen so many traditional health centers so it was really cool to be able to actually meet and interview the healers.  

Okay so how indecisive can a person be?  I think I win.  This past week we have been getting ourselves prepared to begin our practicum/Independent study project (ISP).  This consists of each student choosing a topic of interest that relates to the development in Uganda to research for the last 6 weeks of the program (and we can pretty much go anywhere in uganda that we want).  Initially, I was set on researching access to clean water and sanitation within rural areas throughout Uganda.  Last semester I took a class on global health and learned about the water crisis in developing countries so I was so set on this, even before I got to Uganda.  

Yet of course I changed my mind.  Learning about traditional healing was so interesting to me that I wanted to switch topics.  I researched a little on my own to write my practicum/ISP proposal.  I even interviewed with the NGO, THETA, whose objective is to build a strong relationship between traditional healing practitioners and biomedical practitioners within Uganda. The organization focuses specifically on training traditional healers in order for them to gain more legitimacy within their communities by teaching them proper, sanitary techniques and educating them when to refer patients to the health clinic/hospital, especially for blood testing for HIV/AIDS.  I met with a worker there named Moses who was totally willing to have me work through them to do my research.  It would have worked out perfectly…yet I just got this weird, uneasy sinking feeling in my gut. Something just didn’t feel right.

I don’t know how, but this past Tuesday I just knew I wasn’t supposed to be researching traditional healing.  I was so frustrated with myself. A couple days before our ISP starts and I want to switch back to researching water... Why does everything in my life always have to feel so uncertain?  I change my mind so much on so many things….but for the first time in a long time, I was certain that I needed to switch.  

If something like this would have happened to be before studying abroad, I definitely think I would have kept quiet and stuck it out with researching on traditional healing.  But I think so far studying abroad in Uganda  has forced me to grow up a lot and make decisions based on what I want.…when usually I think I just go with the flow…maybe a little too much.  Studying abroad has also definitely made me question every little thing in my life. Its frustrating, I feel very uncertain but way too many things, but I finally realized its helping me grow and that I just need to trust my faith and trust my instincts.  

Anyways…It would have seemed like too much of a hassle to switch topics again and have to rush to write another proposal, and pretty much just have to start from the beginning.  But I knew something in me just didn’t feel right about traditional healing.  Its so interesting, but I went with my gut feeling and switched back to water. AND I COULDN’T BE ANY HAPPIER. I am so thankful that I met with my advisor to switch topics, even though it was SO last minute. 

I walked into Charlotte’s office (my advisor) on Tuesday and told her how I was just feeling so lost and frustrated. She was so understanding and willing to work with me at quickly changing my topic back to water, I couldn’t thank her enough. She was like, “okay…first things first. We are not going to freak out over this, you are gonna figure this out”. Cassie and chrissy if you are reading this, you know exactly what state of freakout mode I was in…not pretty.  

But after a very frustrating week of feeling very lost and confused, I figured it out and am now finally feeling certain in where I am :)   

YAY CLEAN WATER FOR ALL:)