Well we are on our last few days of work and it's going to be hard to say goodbye. Today I did a workshop with the Uganda Schizophrenia Fellowship and it went really well. The group has never sat down all together and had a discussion about what their experiences with Mental Illness have been. They were supposed to have a general meeting after the workshop but they were all enjoying chatting with each other so much there was not enough time. I also did a talk on coping techniques and how to support someone with a mental illness. I believed they enjoyed it lots as Thomas told me they were thankful for the workshop and they hope to do more like that in the future. At the end two women sang me a goodbye song and I started to cry. It's like saying goodbye to my family all over again. This experience has been truly amazing and will be with me for the rest of my life. It has also shaped me into what I believe will be a better worker when I get home. I have learned so much about myself as a human being and as a Social Worker. Thanks to all the supervisors here in Uganda ( Thomas and John) and to the supervisors back home (Bob, Nancy, Lawrence, and John) for making this experience possible. Doing practicums internationally is an invaluable experience and if anyone ever has the opportunity to do it, do not pass it up.
Time in Africa is not over yet, I still have a few weeks to travel around, which I'm looking forward to. I will try to keep writing but if not Thank you for following along with us on our journey to Uganda. All the comments of support have been greatly appreciated and have inspired me along the way.
Once again thank you to all the people who have been so supportive of this project and have contributed time, energy and funds to make this happen. Without your support some of us may not have had this opportunity.
All the best
Shawna
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Monday, June 25, 2007
Will Miss Uganda
This has been one of the greatest trips of my life. It's sad to say good bye, but I know I will be back soon. I think of this as a second home and I have made a second family with the great people I live with. I would like to thank Douglas College, The Uganda Project, the teachers and John Fox for giving me the greatest educational experience a student could get at a college level. I have had the chance of putting all the skill I have learned from the two year Community Social Service program to practice in beautiful Masaka Uganda. The support and communication I have had from the teachers and last year students that came to Uganda has been amazing. all the people have helped in some way to help me learn more about what it takes to be a good CSSW.
The practicums have been great and I would be lucky to work at both TASO and the school. I have never felt so much love in my life form a work place. Just as I feel at home at my practicums I have to go home. If I didn't need to work for money, i would continue to work at both organizations. I would like to say thank you to Martha my supervisor at TASO and John my supervisor at the school for all their support. I believe there is a lot we can Learn from social workers in Masaka and that's why I think this project is great for the students education. I will never forget my time with all the workers at the organization and I have the great amount of respect for the work they do with no money.
I would like to say thank you to everyone that has read the blogs and have supported us students through out are time in Uganda. This is only the second year and the students that are going next year will also be needing are support. I know this project will only get better with time because Douglas College and CSSW program are putting a great deal of work in making this project one that will be able to run for years to come. The Uganda Project will be fundraising starting Sept. If anyone is interested in coming to the events, please ask. The project will also be putting on a run called run to Uganda. This will be the second time it will be put on and it is a great event. once again the three students and I would like to thank everyone for their support. we could not have done this without all the people that helped.
To the next year students get ready for a life changing experience and I wish you luck. As for me, I'm on my way to Ethiopia. Ya!
With love,
Tsion Tekie
The practicums have been great and I would be lucky to work at both TASO and the school. I have never felt so much love in my life form a work place. Just as I feel at home at my practicums I have to go home. If I didn't need to work for money, i would continue to work at both organizations. I would like to say thank you to Martha my supervisor at TASO and John my supervisor at the school for all their support. I believe there is a lot we can Learn from social workers in Masaka and that's why I think this project is great for the students education. I will never forget my time with all the workers at the organization and I have the great amount of respect for the work they do with no money.
I would like to say thank you to everyone that has read the blogs and have supported us students through out are time in Uganda. This is only the second year and the students that are going next year will also be needing are support. I know this project will only get better with time because Douglas College and CSSW program are putting a great deal of work in making this project one that will be able to run for years to come. The Uganda Project will be fundraising starting Sept. If anyone is interested in coming to the events, please ask. The project will also be putting on a run called run to Uganda. This will be the second time it will be put on and it is a great event. once again the three students and I would like to thank everyone for their support. we could not have done this without all the people that helped.
To the next year students get ready for a life changing experience and I wish you luck. As for me, I'm on my way to Ethiopia. Ya!
With love,
Tsion Tekie
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Home run...
Unfortunately we are already approaching the home stretch, although I am not ready to go home yet... Luckily I will still have 3 more weeks to travel after my practicums are through.
It hit me the first time this week that I will soon have to say good-bye to all the wonderful people I met at work, as well as during my travels. As expected, I am going to be quite sad to go. Remember how I said at the beginning: "beginnings are always difficult", well, saying good-bye can be even harder... However, I am slowly preparing myself and others for my departure, and I think that way I will manage to get a handle on things.
This week at the vocational centre I had a dentist come in to speak about dental hygene, as this was much needed. Sadly, even though they may be willing to take good care of their teeth, some of them don't have enough money to buy toothpaste... However, by demonstrating to them how to properly use a toothbrush, and removing some of the myths (for e.g. that cavities are bugs that eat their way into their teeth), they will hopefully be able to prevent damage to their teeth and other related problems. Apparently, this was the first time since years that someone came in to give education about dental hygene, so the matron was very pleased. I advised her to arrange the same dentist, who works in a clinic on the hospital grounds, to come in once a year when new students have started their programs. It sounded like he agreed to doing so, and I hope it works out..
At Uganda Cares I am still doing pre- and post-result counselling, and this week I also spoke with a couple, which was a first. They advise people to follow the "a, b, c model", which stands for abstain if single, be faithful when in a relationship, or otherwise use a condom...as you can imagine, it's not that simple. However, a lot of clients or young Ugandans I have met, do claim they abstain until marriage, as did the couple I counselled. They came in to get tested prior to getting married, and fortunately they tested negative. To be safe, I advised them to get re-tested within 3 months, as they could have contracted HIV during the window period. It is still not easy giving someone their positive results, and unless I become a doctor in Canada, this is probably something I won't be doing again back home. So, in a sense it is a priviledge, whereby I have learned how to be straight forward with information, while at the same time assessing how they may react and being prepared for their reaction.
Alright, you'll here from me once more next week!
Bye for now,
Seraina
It hit me the first time this week that I will soon have to say good-bye to all the wonderful people I met at work, as well as during my travels. As expected, I am going to be quite sad to go. Remember how I said at the beginning: "beginnings are always difficult", well, saying good-bye can be even harder... However, I am slowly preparing myself and others for my departure, and I think that way I will manage to get a handle on things.
This week at the vocational centre I had a dentist come in to speak about dental hygene, as this was much needed. Sadly, even though they may be willing to take good care of their teeth, some of them don't have enough money to buy toothpaste... However, by demonstrating to them how to properly use a toothbrush, and removing some of the myths (for e.g. that cavities are bugs that eat their way into their teeth), they will hopefully be able to prevent damage to their teeth and other related problems. Apparently, this was the first time since years that someone came in to give education about dental hygene, so the matron was very pleased. I advised her to arrange the same dentist, who works in a clinic on the hospital grounds, to come in once a year when new students have started their programs. It sounded like he agreed to doing so, and I hope it works out..
At Uganda Cares I am still doing pre- and post-result counselling, and this week I also spoke with a couple, which was a first. They advise people to follow the "a, b, c model", which stands for abstain if single, be faithful when in a relationship, or otherwise use a condom...as you can imagine, it's not that simple. However, a lot of clients or young Ugandans I have met, do claim they abstain until marriage, as did the couple I counselled. They came in to get tested prior to getting married, and fortunately they tested negative. To be safe, I advised them to get re-tested within 3 months, as they could have contracted HIV during the window period. It is still not easy giving someone their positive results, and unless I become a doctor in Canada, this is probably something I won't be doing again back home. So, in a sense it is a priviledge, whereby I have learned how to be straight forward with information, while at the same time assessing how they may react and being prepared for their reaction.
Alright, you'll here from me once more next week!
Bye for now,
Seraina
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
We Made It!!!
Hey all
Just decided to drop you a quick note to tell you that the Nile was nice to us. Rafting was soooo much fun and would recommend it if anyone is coming to Uganda in the next three years. I say in the next three years because they are damming a part of the run so if won't be the same after that. The rapids were huge and we flipped the boat twice, which I have to say is good because most of the other boats flipped 4-5 times. We have a few bruises but they were all worth it. The not so smart idea was to go horseback riding the next day!!! Although it was a tone of fun it definitely made us 10x's more sore than just rafting alone would have. But all is good and Seraina and I had an excellent weekend.
In regards to work, it's been a little slow because one of my supervisors has been out of town for the last little while. We usually go on outreach which we have not been able to do since last week so its been quiet. Like Tsion mentioned before we are going to be teaching the teachers at Kitengessa how to use computers this week. This should be fun and I'm looking forward to it.
Anyways bye for now.
Shawna
Just decided to drop you a quick note to tell you that the Nile was nice to us. Rafting was soooo much fun and would recommend it if anyone is coming to Uganda in the next three years. I say in the next three years because they are damming a part of the run so if won't be the same after that. The rapids were huge and we flipped the boat twice, which I have to say is good because most of the other boats flipped 4-5 times. We have a few bruises but they were all worth it. The not so smart idea was to go horseback riding the next day!!! Although it was a tone of fun it definitely made us 10x's more sore than just rafting alone would have. But all is good and Seraina and I had an excellent weekend.
In regards to work, it's been a little slow because one of my supervisors has been out of town for the last little while. We usually go on outreach which we have not been able to do since last week so its been quiet. Like Tsion mentioned before we are going to be teaching the teachers at Kitengessa how to use computers this week. This should be fun and I'm looking forward to it.
Anyways bye for now.
Shawna
Monday, June 18, 2007
only two more weeks
time is going fast and my stay in Uganda is almost over. I'm going to be sad when i have to say good bye to all the wonderful people i have become friends with. having the chance to do the last part of my schooling in Uganda is something that i will never forget. i have learned a great deal from my practicums and feel that i am learning skills that i can use when i start working in he field.
TASO
TASO has been a great place to work because the people are so nice and willing to help me in my learning. i went to the taso monthly meeting that took place on Friday for 6 hours. the meeting is long because they have to talk about all departments in taso and how they can make it better. it was another opportunity for me to see how they improve the service for HIV/AIDS clients at TASO. the also ask clients to write down how well they think TASO services are to see what areas are good and what areas need work.
most of the week i spend doing field work. i go with one other social worker and visit clients. i feel i learn the most when I'm doing outreach because it is hands on work. i have a chance to build relationships with the clients. this week i went to the field three days. every day week drive for about one hour on a bike. a lot of the people are very sick because they live aways from the centre and are not able to get treatment they need. the only time the clients see a doctor is when TASO comes to their village. i wish i could share some of the counselling stories with you but it is confidential. i enjoy go to the clients house because i get a better understanding of their situation and what is need to work with the client. over all taso has been great.
school
the school is very slow and for the most part i am teaching computer class. this week i will be teaching the teachers how to use computers because they have never used them. maegan and i are also working with the three girls Douglas has sponsored. they are going to start a support group. the support group will be once a week on a sat for one hour. we are working with them to teach some counselling skill so the are able to understand the meaning of a support group. the three girls want to be social workers when they are done school and we know it will be good for their learning. we will also be keeping in contact with the girls once in Canada.
tsion
TASO
TASO has been a great place to work because the people are so nice and willing to help me in my learning. i went to the taso monthly meeting that took place on Friday for 6 hours. the meeting is long because they have to talk about all departments in taso and how they can make it better. it was another opportunity for me to see how they improve the service for HIV/AIDS clients at TASO. the also ask clients to write down how well they think TASO services are to see what areas are good and what areas need work.
most of the week i spend doing field work. i go with one other social worker and visit clients. i feel i learn the most when I'm doing outreach because it is hands on work. i have a chance to build relationships with the clients. this week i went to the field three days. every day week drive for about one hour on a bike. a lot of the people are very sick because they live aways from the centre and are not able to get treatment they need. the only time the clients see a doctor is when TASO comes to their village. i wish i could share some of the counselling stories with you but it is confidential. i enjoy go to the clients house because i get a better understanding of their situation and what is need to work with the client. over all taso has been great.
school
the school is very slow and for the most part i am teaching computer class. this week i will be teaching the teachers how to use computers because they have never used them. maegan and i are also working with the three girls Douglas has sponsored. they are going to start a support group. the support group will be once a week on a sat for one hour. we are working with them to teach some counselling skill so the are able to understand the meaning of a support group. the three girls want to be social workers when they are done school and we know it will be good for their learning. we will also be keeping in contact with the girls once in Canada.
tsion
Experiences
Hello everyone, I realize that it has been a while, however I have been sick for the past week therefore could not make it to the internet cafe. For the past 2 1/2 weeks I have been working with an abandoned infant at the hospital, probably one of the hardest things I have ever had to do! As one can imagine I become a little attached to the child since I was really all it had. In saying this once we arrived at the home I new that he would have a great future to look forward to and would be well taken care of in the mean time.
This process consisted of very little paper work and once that was finalized I was able to bring him to a "babies home" in Jinja which is about a 5 hr drive from Masaka. To my surprise the babies home was very nice and the children seemed happy and content. The home currently holds 61 children aged 2 weeks - 4 years. One of the workers shared that approximately %98 of the children are adopted and often from Ugandan famillies which was very comforting to hear.
On a different note, Tsion and I went on Safari which was incredible, we seen many elephants, bulls, hyennas, bors, lions and more. It was absolutely fantastic, apart from being sick and having to run to a washroom every 20 min. but that is just the way it goes.
Other then that I have been concentrating on my health and getting better for the remainning 2 weeks. I hope everyone is well and I look forward in seeing you all soon!
Maegan
This process consisted of very little paper work and once that was finalized I was able to bring him to a "babies home" in Jinja which is about a 5 hr drive from Masaka. To my surprise the babies home was very nice and the children seemed happy and content. The home currently holds 61 children aged 2 weeks - 4 years. One of the workers shared that approximately %98 of the children are adopted and often from Ugandan famillies which was very comforting to hear.
On a different note, Tsion and I went on Safari which was incredible, we seen many elephants, bulls, hyennas, bors, lions and more. It was absolutely fantastic, apart from being sick and having to run to a washroom every 20 min. but that is just the way it goes.
Other then that I have been concentrating on my health and getting better for the remainning 2 weeks. I hope everyone is well and I look forward in seeing you all soon!
Maegan
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Another Update
Last week I managed to get three former students from the vocational centre, who suffer epilepsy, to come in and speak about their experience. I believe it was very beneficial for the students, as they believed epilepsy is contagious. I am hopeful that most, if not all, were convinced by the end of the presentation that it was not... Most of all, I think the three students also provided great role models for them, by demonstrating how they can speak out about their disabilities and sensitize others. This week we also started an employment workshop at the centre, which will continue over the course of the next 3 weeks, once weekly. I will be co-facilitating this workshop together with another teacher from the centre, as well as the DRO (district rehabilitation officer), who is also physically disabled. So, this will be another great learning opportunity for me.
At Uganda Cares there are a lot of students who are eager to learn, and also helpful to work with. We have started doing parts of the pre-result counselling workshop, and will probably be on our own soon. Unfortunately, they are at an advantage because of the language, so I am not sure how much I will be able to contribute... However, I am also working together with the nurses and they let me help out with for e.g. taking the childrens' measurments or weighing people at in-take.
As Shawna mentioned in her last blog, we are also making some room for fun and adventure, as our time in Uganda will be over before we know it... Source of the Nile river-rafting, here we come!
PS (Congrats to the CSSW class of 2007 for succussfully graduating & hope you had a good party!)
Until next time, safe journey!
Seraina
At Uganda Cares there are a lot of students who are eager to learn, and also helpful to work with. We have started doing parts of the pre-result counselling workshop, and will probably be on our own soon. Unfortunately, they are at an advantage because of the language, so I am not sure how much I will be able to contribute... However, I am also working together with the nurses and they let me help out with for e.g. taking the childrens' measurments or weighing people at in-take.
As Shawna mentioned in her last blog, we are also making some room for fun and adventure, as our time in Uganda will be over before we know it... Source of the Nile river-rafting, here we come!
PS (Congrats to the CSSW class of 2007 for succussfully graduating & hope you had a good party!)
Until next time, safe journey!
Seraina
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Just one more thing
HAPPY GRADUATION TO ALL OUR CLASSMATES. CONGRATULATIONS !!!!
THE BEST OF LUCK TO ALL OF YOU IN YOUR FUTURE CAREERS AND I'M SURE WE WILL SEE EACH OTHER IN THE FIELD
THE BEST OF LUCK TO ALL OF YOU IN YOUR FUTURE CAREERS AND I'M SURE WE WILL SEE EACH OTHER IN THE FIELD
Its been awhile
Hello all,
Its been a while since i last wrote. I've been really busy with work and am finding it hard to get to the Internet cafe for long enough that I can sit down and write in the blog. Anyways enough excuses from me. Work is going very well and i am really enjoying it. This past weekend Seraina and I went to Jinja for a picnic with Thomas and the jinja branch of the schizophrenia fellowship. We had a lot of fun. Good food and good company. We stayed the night in jinja and woke up the next day to a lot of rain. Oh i forgot to mention that we were camping. Yep that's right in a tent with no blankets. Luckily the tent was water proof. So sun when we woke up and saw how much it was raining we decided to go ATVing and have some fun in the rain. It was a blast and we got to see alot of the area around Bujigalli falls.
This past mon I got to see some clients that i have been doing some counselling with. I have not seen them for a few weeks and the first time we met they were not doing to well. But when i saw them this past mon they are showing signs of improvement which is very nice to see. Its nice to see a client smile and laugh when, the time you saw them before, there was only sadness. I have also set up a workshop that i am going to facilitate at the monthly schizophrenia member meeting. I am going to be talking about coping mechanisms and how to care for someone who is mentally ill. Things like thought stopping and grounding techniques for those who are living with a mental illness and how to handle someone who is being aggressive ect. for the caregivers will be discussed. So wish me luck. There is expected to be about 60-70 ppl there so i am a little nervous.
I have also stated doing some teaching at Kitengessa Secondary School which is also a lot of fun. The kids are so willing to learn and so open that it makes my job very easy. I am hoping to start a peer support group after school with the hopes that it will continue after i leave but I don't have much time left since starting at the school so late in the practicums, so we'll see.
This up coming weekend Seraina and I are planning to go back up to Jinja and Bujigalli falls to do some white water rafting on the Nile. Grade five rapids and some of the best rafting in the world so once again wish us luck and hope the the Nile is nice to us.
Anyways Bye for Now
Shawna
Its been a while since i last wrote. I've been really busy with work and am finding it hard to get to the Internet cafe for long enough that I can sit down and write in the blog. Anyways enough excuses from me. Work is going very well and i am really enjoying it. This past weekend Seraina and I went to Jinja for a picnic with Thomas and the jinja branch of the schizophrenia fellowship. We had a lot of fun. Good food and good company. We stayed the night in jinja and woke up the next day to a lot of rain. Oh i forgot to mention that we were camping. Yep that's right in a tent with no blankets. Luckily the tent was water proof. So sun when we woke up and saw how much it was raining we decided to go ATVing and have some fun in the rain. It was a blast and we got to see alot of the area around Bujigalli falls.
This past mon I got to see some clients that i have been doing some counselling with. I have not seen them for a few weeks and the first time we met they were not doing to well. But when i saw them this past mon they are showing signs of improvement which is very nice to see. Its nice to see a client smile and laugh when, the time you saw them before, there was only sadness. I have also set up a workshop that i am going to facilitate at the monthly schizophrenia member meeting. I am going to be talking about coping mechanisms and how to care for someone who is mentally ill. Things like thought stopping and grounding techniques for those who are living with a mental illness and how to handle someone who is being aggressive ect. for the caregivers will be discussed. So wish me luck. There is expected to be about 60-70 ppl there so i am a little nervous.
I have also stated doing some teaching at Kitengessa Secondary School which is also a lot of fun. The kids are so willing to learn and so open that it makes my job very easy. I am hoping to start a peer support group after school with the hopes that it will continue after i leave but I don't have much time left since starting at the school so late in the practicums, so we'll see.
This up coming weekend Seraina and I are planning to go back up to Jinja and Bujigalli falls to do some white water rafting on the Nile. Grade five rapids and some of the best rafting in the world so once again wish us luck and hope the the Nile is nice to us.
Anyways Bye for Now
Shawna
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
Progress Report...
Hello everyone!
As I mentioned last time, I was planning an HIV/AIDS workshop at the vocational centre for disabled children, which is funded by USDC (Ugandan Society for Disabled Children) and I wanted to let you know how that went...
This was the first "sex-talk" I ever did in front of a class of 45 students, so I was a little nervous. However, as I got going, things went much better than I anticipated and they absolutely loved it. We had a good two hour discussion with the Q&A session at the end, and I believe it was a huge success. Even though they claim to know the basics, there were many things they weren't sure about, and the three bananas I handed out to practice putting condoms on, really put them to the test... It was great fun, and about half of the class even came up to shake my hand at the end, that's how thankful they were. This made me realise how much fun my work is, though certainly it won't always be this easy to reach out and educate people. Today I have planned a presentation on epilepsy, which is believed to be contagious here in Uganda. Therefore, my main goal will be to teach them the opposite, and I'm curious as to how well that will go...?
At my other placement at Uganda Cares a lot of social work students from different universities in Uganda have started their practicums also, so this will have pros and cons for me. A pro is that we can work together doing pre-and post-result counselling, whereby they can translate for me. However, I can also foresee competition for work, and I hope there will be enough tasks to go around... One thing's for sure, there is no shortage in clients, so surely there will always be someone to counsel and support. Their counselling style here is very different though, and feelings are rarely talked about... Despite this not being customary, I still make a point of inquiring, and have been getting good results that way.
Alright then, I will keep you posted!
Seraina
As I mentioned last time, I was planning an HIV/AIDS workshop at the vocational centre for disabled children, which is funded by USDC (Ugandan Society for Disabled Children) and I wanted to let you know how that went...
This was the first "sex-talk" I ever did in front of a class of 45 students, so I was a little nervous. However, as I got going, things went much better than I anticipated and they absolutely loved it. We had a good two hour discussion with the Q&A session at the end, and I believe it was a huge success. Even though they claim to know the basics, there were many things they weren't sure about, and the three bananas I handed out to practice putting condoms on, really put them to the test... It was great fun, and about half of the class even came up to shake my hand at the end, that's how thankful they were. This made me realise how much fun my work is, though certainly it won't always be this easy to reach out and educate people. Today I have planned a presentation on epilepsy, which is believed to be contagious here in Uganda. Therefore, my main goal will be to teach them the opposite, and I'm curious as to how well that will go...?
At my other placement at Uganda Cares a lot of social work students from different universities in Uganda have started their practicums also, so this will have pros and cons for me. A pro is that we can work together doing pre-and post-result counselling, whereby they can translate for me. However, I can also foresee competition for work, and I hope there will be enough tasks to go around... One thing's for sure, there is no shortage in clients, so surely there will always be someone to counsel and support. Their counselling style here is very different though, and feelings are rarely talked about... Despite this not being customary, I still make a point of inquiring, and have been getting good results that way.
Alright then, I will keep you posted!
Seraina
Friday, June 1, 2007
hello,
well, we have less then a month in Uganda and time I going fast. I have learned a great deal of information from my practicums. My weeks are very full, I spend two days at Kitenguisa Senior Secondary ( wed & Fri) from 7:30 am-5:45pm and three days at TASO (Mon,Tues,Thur) from 8:30am-4pm. I will tell you a little about each practicum and what I do.
My first practicum is at the school working with high school kids. The school is very small and has little money for books and other things that a school needs. They don't have music our art class because the school has no money. Each class has about 30-60 children and some times there is not enough teacher for all the classes. I see children teaching each other in class because they don't have a teacher. some students have a hard time paying school fees so they are not able to go to school. Other students cant go to school because they have to stay at home and work or they have children. The children that are able to attend school are very grateful. Children study from morning till night. For the most part children know how important education is for their future.
I do many diffrent things at the school. One of the things I do with the students is teach computer.Douglas College has given the school and library a computer each. Most of the students have never used a computer before so this was a great learning opportunity for the students. I had to explain everything from how to turn on a computer. The students are happy to learn all about computers. I also help the English teachers with some classes. In the weeks to come I will be talking to the class about topics such as HIV/AIDS, sex, stigma and anything else I feel will be helpful. I also will be working with the three girls Douglas College has sponsored to come up with a peer support group that will be runned by the girls once well go back to Canada. The school is a great learning experience for me.
My second practicum is at TASO. TASO is an HIV/AIDS organization that has been open since 1987. It was started by individuals living with HIV. They felt there was not enough support for individuals in Uganda living with HIV/AIDS. It started of as just a support group. As it developed more they new it was important to help them treat the illness. TASO has two parts to the org the medical and the counselling.
The medical area has doctors, nurses, pharmacy, testing and much more. the counselling deportment has individual counselling, group counselling, children's counselling to name a few. TASO also has outreach put in place to reach the clients to sick to come to the center.
I have had the opportunity to work in all areas of the TASO org. I have been counselling clients and educating them. I go on outreach two times a week. A social worker and I go and visit clients at the house. we go and give meds, do testing of family members, educate community and do anything else we can. This has been a great learning experience to better understand the challenges one faces when living with HIV/AIDS in Africa. I have so much more to say but i will save it for another day.
Tsion
well, we have less then a month in Uganda and time I going fast. I have learned a great deal of information from my practicums. My weeks are very full, I spend two days at Kitenguisa Senior Secondary ( wed & Fri) from 7:30 am-5:45pm and three days at TASO (Mon,Tues,Thur) from 8:30am-4pm. I will tell you a little about each practicum and what I do.
My first practicum is at the school working with high school kids. The school is very small and has little money for books and other things that a school needs. They don't have music our art class because the school has no money. Each class has about 30-60 children and some times there is not enough teacher for all the classes. I see children teaching each other in class because they don't have a teacher. some students have a hard time paying school fees so they are not able to go to school. Other students cant go to school because they have to stay at home and work or they have children. The children that are able to attend school are very grateful. Children study from morning till night. For the most part children know how important education is for their future.
I do many diffrent things at the school. One of the things I do with the students is teach computer.Douglas College has given the school and library a computer each. Most of the students have never used a computer before so this was a great learning opportunity for the students. I had to explain everything from how to turn on a computer. The students are happy to learn all about computers. I also help the English teachers with some classes. In the weeks to come I will be talking to the class about topics such as HIV/AIDS, sex, stigma and anything else I feel will be helpful. I also will be working with the three girls Douglas College has sponsored to come up with a peer support group that will be runned by the girls once well go back to Canada. The school is a great learning experience for me.
My second practicum is at TASO. TASO is an HIV/AIDS organization that has been open since 1987. It was started by individuals living with HIV. They felt there was not enough support for individuals in Uganda living with HIV/AIDS. It started of as just a support group. As it developed more they new it was important to help them treat the illness. TASO has two parts to the org the medical and the counselling.
The medical area has doctors, nurses, pharmacy, testing and much more. the counselling deportment has individual counselling, group counselling, children's counselling to name a few. TASO also has outreach put in place to reach the clients to sick to come to the center.
I have had the opportunity to work in all areas of the TASO org. I have been counselling clients and educating them. I go on outreach two times a week. A social worker and I go and visit clients at the house. we go and give meds, do testing of family members, educate community and do anything else we can. This has been a great learning experience to better understand the challenges one faces when living with HIV/AIDS in Africa. I have so much more to say but i will save it for another day.
Tsion
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