Global Health Experiential Education in Uganda

As a college student, I have to complete field experience in order to graduate. I had already completed the requirements for field experience but wanted to learn more about maternal health. So when I found at that Child Family International had a program dedicated to HIV and Maternal Health, I immediately jumped on the opportunity. I had the honor to receive a scholarship from CFHI which allowed me to go to Uganda. I chose CFHI because of their message of sustainable and ethical methods when sending students overseas. There are many volunteer programs out there but none with such a strong message. In the pre-departure packet, CFHI has students read about cultural competency, volunteerism, and even discussed the savior complex.

The program itself was an amazing experience. CFHI has a partnership with a local Kegezi clinic called Kihefo. The clinic has many departments so students who don't necessarily want to focus just on maternal health have the opportunity to shadow different departments. There is a dental clinic, an HIV/AIDS clinic, a maternal clinic, and a general practice clinic. As an aspiring midwife, I loved going to the maternal health clinic. There I learned how to measure/record a fetal heartbeat, measure how far along a baby is, and common complications. A big highlight for me was watching a live birth. It was amazing and something I would never forget.

The living conditions were very good. We received three meals a day and a water bottle for each meal. The Kihefo apartments are quite nice. There is not hot water all the time but it was totally worth it. The staff here is excellent and everyone is very supportive. I would caution LGBTQA+ students from traveling to Uganda as this is a conservative country. Overall, this was a good experience

Child Family Health International (CFHI) gave me the opportunity to give back to my motherland. I remember interviewing for Belmont's Pharmacy program and telling my interviewer that I would like to go back to Uganda for a month in my fourth year as part of my experiential education. It was a dream then, and now a reality. This was my first global health trip and it was definitely a life-changing experience. Robin and Ally were essential in setting up this trip and I am very grateful for all their help and tireless efforts. This is the first time Belmont University College of Pharmacy has had a rotation site in Uganda and the first Public Health//Missions elective that has lasted an entire month, and it was a great success. Several students are already interested in pursuing this elective in their fourth year and I hope I can return as a CFHI volunteer in the near future. As a person of color and from an underserved community, I was able to learn from first-hand experience of other social determinants that I had not personally experienced. HIV, malnutrition, poverty, and gender inequality are still a reality in many communities, including Kabale, Uganda I feel it is my role, as a global citizen, to start making the right changes as the world continues to change me. I like the Kigezi Healthcare Foundation (Kihefo) model because it integrates sustainable healthcare initiatives that fight disease, poverty, and ignorance. In Kabale, I participated in patient care in the general clinic (most common disease states include malaria, brucellosis, and typhoid), HIV/AIDS clinic, and maternal clinic. Besides my clinical experiences, I participated in gardening and visited a traditional healer for the first time. I learned more about how he incorporates spiritual, traditional, and western medicine. I also had the opportunity to visit the bishop that baptized me as a little girl (he moved to Kabale shortly after he baptized me and I had not seen him since then) and that made me feel like my spiritual circle is now complete. I have many questions after this trip, and I do not have all the answers, but I will continue to learn and be an advocate for quality healthcare for all. Thanks again CFHI and the Thomas Hall Scholar Award! #lettheworldchangeyou

The KIHEFO model is something that will forever guide my practice in global health. I was afraid that too much time would be spent in the clinic, which though helpful, wouldn't be the experience I, as someone in health policy, would be interested in. When I expressed this to the local coordinator, Barnabas, he sat down with me and helped me to tailor a learning plan that exceeded all of my expectations! The staff is incredibly knowledgeable and they were very kind to take the time needed to share all of their expertise with a student that doesn't have much clinical experience. The CFHI staff both here in the states and abroad made the immersion into a culture so different from my own feel seamless.
This became more than just and educational experience. I was reassured that the path I have chosen is the direction I want to continue working. I formed personal and professional relationships with students from the states and abroad that will promote collaboration for what I hope will be a long time. I even had a lot of fun and will never forget my 70 degree Christmas Day!

CFHI serves as a great 'bridge' if you will, from the United States to Uganda. Without the help of CFHI: there is no chance that I would of found an organization as unique & amazing as KIHEFO, I would not of known how to prepare for this magnitude of culture experience, etc. CFHI truly is a praise-worthy resource for someone looking to gain general or global health insight abroad. In addition, CFHI helps to coordinate tourist activities during your free time abroad.

As previously mentioned, the NGO, KIHEFO, is a non-profit based out of Kabale, Uganda with a mission to 'fight disease, ignorance and poverty'. This mission encompasses many large interconnected components with the belief that these topics must all be addressed to make sustainable impact. Education and empowerment are popular themes for KIHEFO's projects and initiatives. KIHEFO has a inpatient & outpatient health & dental clinic (including a lab), maternal clinic, nutrition clinic and HIV/AIDS clinic that serve as shadowing opportunities for students. In addition, interns have the opportunity to participate in things such as a women's empowerment group, the rabbit project, community outreaches and more!

As an alumni of this program, I am so grateful for the wide range of exposure and knowledge that was provided to me during my two weeks in Uganda. This exposure/knowledge includes but is not limited to: medical techniques, the true meaning of "community", grant-writing, sustainability, African culture, tropical diseases, the art of innovation, empowerment, traditional medicine, health education, government structure, etc. The staff of KIHEFO truly were some of the most genuine, educated and innovative people I have met.

While in Uganda, I was able to obtain a better grasp on the true components of medicine and strengthen my passion I had for serving others. I was constantly encouraged to share my ideas and ask questions during the trip, which was instrumental in my earnings abroad. The accommodations exceeded my expectations and staff went above and beyond to ensure that my stay was enjoyable. Personally, my safety was never a concern. While abroad, I was able to secure relationships with several medical and non-medical individuals in Uganda. In addition to Ugandans, I had the opportunity to adventure, reflect and grow with other passionate interns which was also beneficial to my travels.

This trip is not only for health science students, rather any student can benefit from time in Uganda & the coordinators do a great job at personalizing the trip based on interests & talents.

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).

I was blown away by the model used by the healthcare workers in Kabale. Working in partnership with both medical and traditional healers, CFHI (and KIHEFO) fights the cycle of poverty, ignorance, and disease.
I made lifelong friends and learned so much. The staff were so helpful, answering our questions even after a difficult procedure or a long day. I always felt welcomed and like I was part of something bigger than myself. My only complaint was that the trip was too short, and that was my own fault. :) I hope to return soon.

Incredible experience! The end of our orientation day consisted of experiencing a baby being born at the Women and Children Clinic. What a way to finish up orientation day. The midwives were excellent and explained the stages of the birthing process to us throughout and took time afterwards to discuss with us. The actual hands-on experience gained while at KIHEFO was priceless. I recommend CFHI intensives to any students. Learned so much in the two weeks.

My time in Kabale, Uganda was spent with the Kigezi Healthcare Foundation KIHEFO specifically in the general clinic. I am a medical student and found the clinical component of my program to be very educational. There was also a cultural component as staff made sure to share their traditions, heritage and history. Time was spent in the surrounding villages providing health care and educational seminars as well.

The program provides ample time for tourist activities like safari and sight seeing. Overall the program was very structured and planned out to provide a safe and comfortable experience. This is especially beneficial for those who are traveling abroad for the first time.

CFHI provides a nice organized introduction into big issues in health care in Uganda and East Africa. If you have any interest in HIV/AIDs, tropical medicine, maternal child health issues, food insecurity and undernutrition, you will learn from this program. Even better, you learn almost exclusively from Ugandans while there. Their vision for health and progress in their country is awe-inspiring and the CFHI program is a wonderful opportunity for students to both participate and contribute as they work on meeting their goals. Healthcare in Africa is extremely complicated, but the doctors and medical workers I learned from in Uganda have cultivated an ability to step back and see the big picture. They helped me to see how interconnected all of the pieces of healthcare are. One patient in particular drove this home for me--we treated a young malnourished child with HIV on an outreach day in a village, then brought her back to town to treat her malnourishment with refeeding and engaged her and her mother in a program to teach them to improve their farming practices and access to food near their home. I was so impressed with the capability of a clinic with minimal resources overall to tackle these gigantic problems in such a holistic way. I hop that after seeing such great examples of program planning and implementation that I will be able to take some of that forward into developing my own clinical practice in the future.