A Family in Uganda

During my time with KIHEFO in Kabale, Uganda, I truly felt welcomed into a family! Of course, this family included everyone from nurses, physicians, those who cooked delicious meals, and even patients themselves. As a dental student, I enjoyed the opportunity to experience the outreach events in rural communities and the normal permanent clinic in town.

I was exposed to the empowerment opportunities and care provided to malnourished families, pregnant women, dental patients of all backgrounds, and many primary care patients with a variety of health conditions. On my final day, I was invited to a traditional marriage "give away" which was a wonderful and interesting cultural experience with much celebration and excitement. The only things I wish I would have been fully prepared for before my trip was that power outages are extremely frequent and therefore wifi will be inaccessible for 2-3 days sometimes. This wasn't a major concern, as I had been to Africa for 4 weeks before with no internet access at all. It's just something to be aware of. This also means that an adequate number of candles, flashlights, and eternal charging devices are important for packing. A towel was provided and I had a private bathroom which was a true luxury. Bedding was provided too and when I arrived, those living in the building asked if I brought my own pillow due to the limited options available. I had not, but it was no problem. If you're picky about a sleeping pillow, consider bringing your own. Warm clothing is also important because of the altitude and rain nearly every morning. Again, nothing major, but for your comfort, consider these things while packing. In terms of food and drinks, the people preparing my meals were not only some of the sweetest and fun people, they also bent over backwards to find out my food and drink preferences. For example, I love avocado and because it was readily available at the time, I ended up being surprised by avocado at almost every meal. I was comfortable and learned a great deal during this trip. All those at KIHEFO and even outside the organization were willing to answer my questions about health care delivery, barriers to care, etc. I'd go again in a HEARTBEAT!

I felt very safe, except for one day when a big storm came in and we were driving on an unpaved road that wound around many hills. The road was very slippery and uneven, however the driver Tony is a true professional and he has an amazing reputation for being able to handle any situation.

Ps: you'll have easy access to ATMs, you can buy sweets, sofa, snacks, etc at nearby stores, and if you take a safari or other trip, some of the parks require that you pay in US dollars regardless of your nationality. If you're planning to call landlines in the United States or people who do not have a specific app or iPhone, I recommend using Skype to call phones (no video required).