I’ve had an uneventful work week in Kampala and am currently unwinding in Entebbe- listening to the birds and the rain and music playing a few houses down. This week was different from most trips because I didn’t travel to the countryside. A week in Kampala seemed like it could drag on, and it’s true, I will not miss the heavy-set air and traffic jams that had me waiting endlessly at stoplights, sometimes for 15 minutes in a sitting. However, the work was rich, the relationships strong, and I just can’t get enough of being with people who are up to something.
After traveling here for over 4 years, I feel in my core that Ugandans are some of the nicest people I have encountered. Life here is not easy. Wages are low, and with a president who has been in power for over 30 years (OVER 30 YEARS!); intimidation and repression is palpable. At some of the most populated traffic circles, tankers with policemen wearing riot gear loom over the city, as if to remind its citizens that at every moment, the government is in control. This said, people are kind, educated, and doing interesting work. One of the meetings I most enjoyed attending this week was a young investigators research symposium. Masters and PhD students stood up in front of a packed room and presented their work followed by fielding questions. It took nerve to get up in front of foreigners and colleagues alike and present on relevant health topics- featuring issues like evaluating better malaria diagnostics, tools for midwives to monitor neonatal stats, and novel behavioral methods to ensure bed net use. The questions are what floored me- rigorous and supportive at the same time, the community of young researchers and mentors alike, were there to learn. I don’t get to play the role of mentor often and watching some of the people I work with at the podium made my heart zing.
The next time I visit will likely be in 6 months. In many ways, it will feel the same, and in this, the work continues on.