Tag Archives: Uganda

Student Profile: Scarcity of dentists in rural areas ignites interest

UCU School of Medicine, , , , , ,
Ayikoru Hilda, UCU School of Medicine Denistry Student (UgandaPartners Photo)

(In 2014, the Uganda Ministry of Health reported only 200 dentists in the entire country. In the same year (the latest available data), more than 51% of Ugandans had dental diseases, and 76% of children under age 5 and 93% of adults reportedly suffered tooth decay. If dentists were distributed geographically equitable throughout Uganda, there would be 1 dentist serving about 175,000 people – a deficit in itself but an even greater problem because Ugandan dentists tend to be located in urban and not rural areas despite the fact that Uganda’s national health policy requires that every district has at least one dentist. The rural community challenge especially hits home for Ayikoru Hilda Diana, a “freshman” student in the Bachelor of Dental Surgery program within the recently opened Uganda Christian University (UCU) School of Medicine.  She’s from the sparsely served area of Arua in Uganda’s northern region. In this interview, Ayikoru Hilda shares her hopes and dreams for the field of dentistry in Uganda.)

By Brendah Ndagire
How did you get drawn to Dental Surgery?
During high school I loved sciences. With my interest and academic proficiency in Biology, Chemistry and Physics, I wanted to go medical school. When I was presented with the opportunity to go to Uganda Christian University’s School of Medicine, I knew that I wanted to study Dental Surgery because I have always found dentists interesting people. Besides, there are few dentists in Uganda. I have always wanted to make an impact in my community, and I thought since there are few dentists in my country and especially in the area where I was born, I would make a better impact in that field.

Apart from the shortage of dentists in Uganda, what challenges have you observed?
The current challenge with dentistry field is that in most cases when some people with a toothache go to a dental clinic in Uganda, a dentist just extracts the tooth. Yet, there is more to being a dentist than just pulling out a tooth. It seems like most dentists here are only taught how to remove a tooth instead of examining different ways they can engage with patients about dental and oral hygiene and treatment.

Hilda, center, with other Dental Surgery students at the UCU Kampala Campus.(UgandaPartners Photo)

Why study at UCU School of Medicine?
There are only two Ugandan universities that have a bachelor’s degree program in Dental Surgery, namely, Makerere University and Uganda Christian University. I chose UCU because I come from a Christian family, and two of my siblings have studied/are still studying at UCU. Beyond that, it is really the integration of a Christian perspective with different classes. For example, this semester, I had three science classes, Anatomy, Biochemistry, Physiology, and humanity classes such as Understanding the New Testament and Old Testament. I love having a christian perspective on issues affecting our daily lives.

In Arua District, where do you see a need for dentists?
There is a lot of need for dentists in the Arua District. I remember every school term, whenever I used to go for a dental check up as a requirement for school entry, I had never seen an actual dentist. For more than 7 years, I had never seen an actual dentist! I also have lived in Fort Portal, Kabarole District, and I never saw a dentist there either. I am saying “actual” because the only thing they knew how to do was a check up and pulling out a tooth. But dentistry goes beyond tooth extraction. And the only time I have seen an actual dentist is in Kampala and neighboring urban areas, where dentist examine the oral conditions of a patient, recommend measures to take to prevent dental diseases and so forth.

Recognizing the challenges and reality of dentists in your community, what do you hope to do differently as a dental surgeon?
I want to primarily teach people about the importance of teeth and oral hygiene. My mother was a midwife, and I used to go with her at the hospital. One day, a woman came and without telling the doctors what problem she had with her tooth, she asked them to remove the tooth. And I thought to myself, “you can’t just remove teeth. Learn about the problem causing the toothache, and find out whether it can be prevented or treated without removing the entire tooth.” As a dentist, the first approach is to teach people about everything regarding teeth and oral hygiene.

(UgandaPartners Photo)

Where do you hope to practice as a dentist?
I would like to work in my home district of Arua because I see the greatest need for dentists there. I hope to work as a dentist, but I also hope to teach dentistry to the people there. I believe working as a dentist in Arua would help people in my community but I also think teaching them would make a greater impact. If I can do both, the better.

What has so far been the most positive aspect of studying at UCU School of Medicine?Professors/lecturers teach to make sure that we excel in our classes. Not many professors/lecturers love to teach. Some teach to fail students but I think our professors really love teaching us. I can see that they really care about us, and about the university’s good reputation.

Who do you look up to as you pursue this journey?
My mother and father have been my inspiration in this field of medicine. My mother was a midwife; she passed away in 2014.  And my father used to be a veterinary doctor.  At UCU, I am inspired by Dr. Albert Kasangaki, the head of dentistry who also studied dental surgery and everything related to oral surgery.

More information about the Uganda Christian University School of Medicine can be obtained at https://www.ugandapartners.org/priority-projects.To support science students, books and facilities at the medical school, contact Mark Bartels, executive director, UCU Partners, atm.t.bartels@ugandapartners.org or donate directly at: https://www.ugandapartners.org/donate/

Also follow our Facebook,Instagram and Linkedin pages.

Two Ugandan nurses gear up for expanded UCU leadership roles

Faculty of Public Health, Nursing and Midwifery, , , , ,


Elizabeth Ekong and Faith Sebuliba at Uganda Christian University (UgandaPartners Photo)

By Brendah Ndagire

In 2006, Elizabeth Ekong and Faith Sebuliba were part of the pioneer group of students enrolled in the Nursing Program at Uganda Christian University (UCU).  A dozen years later, they are close to leading it.

When they began, they did not think about the prospect of being considered the future leaders of UCU’s Nursing Program. Once they graduated with bachelor degrees in 2008, they got employed and started working as tutorial assistants for new students. As teaching assistants, they were intentionally mentored by the current founders and heads of UCU’s Nursing Department, Mrs. Jemimah Mutabaazi; and Dr. Karen Drake of Bethel University in Minnesota, USA. The mentorship process is geared towards sustaining the program leadership by putting it in the hands of Ugandans.

UCU nursing program growth
UCU nursing has deepened from certificates, diplomas and bachelor degrees to offerings at the post-graduate (PG) level. The first PG program leads to a Master of Nursing Science. Other graduate degree programs are planned in midwifery, women’s health, and psychiatry as these relate to nursing.

As trailblazers, Faith and Elizabeth graduated with their Master’s in Nursing Science in 2011. They were appointed lecturers, teaching undergraduate students in nursing classes such as foundations of nursing, medical surgical, anatomy, physiology, research, and midwifery. With Mrs. Mutabaazi, they were among only four full-time lecturers in all nursing classes for a long time. In their full-time lecturer roles, “we were expected to be an all-round teachers,” Elizabeth said. Today, they still work as lecturers as well as being online PhD students of nursing through Texila American University.

Faith with some of her students, Magdalene Kokor (right) and Kemigisha Misk (left)  –  (Uganda Partners Photo)

What makes UCU’s Nursing Program different from other programs in other universities in Uganda is that the Bachelor of Nursing curricula at UCU includes foundation courses like world views, Christian living (New and Old Testament), Christian ethics and others that ground students in reflecting and managing their future clients as individuals that deserve the best of care.

“To me, as a nurse, it is really important to strengthen my professional as well as my Christian ethics,” Elizabeth said. “As a Christian it is important to know what kind of professional ethics I am going to portray as I practice nursing.”

“All we are and what we do is the result of our faith. It is not all about being like any other nurse or teacher, but being a Christian nurse and teacher begins with serving the Author and Giver of this life we have, and inviting others to be part of that service in our communities.” Faith Sebuliba

Passion to serve
Reflecting on lessons learned as lecturers, Elizabeth and Faith both remember how they started their passion and inspiration for teaching and becoming nurses.

  • Faith remembers the time when she was a 6-year-old child and damaged her eardrum. She had accidentally put a stick in her ear. While she was at the hospital, she loved the nurses who took care of her in the entire healing process.
  • In earlier years, teaching wasn’t Elizabeth’s passion. “I had been a student and saw how teachers treated students, and I remembered that when I finished my first diploma in midwifery, I never wanted to be a teacher. Over time, I learned that I can be a teacher with a difference. This means valuing students and the work we are doing. And that’s what I wanted to do as a nursing teacher.”

Speaking about the challenges facing UCU’s Nursing Program, they have seen the main obstacles of being under-staffed due to limited funding and lower student enrolment. The program currently has some part-time staff and “the challenge with that is we are unable to stretch part-time staff. They only give you the time they have available. Our hope is that we are able to hire and have full-time lecturers in the future,” Faith said.

Regarding low student enrolment, since the program is full-time, many prospective candidates are not able to apply for full-time classes. “Many of them are already working and cannot afford to hold their work and study full-time. The enrolment numbers have been going down over the years, so our responsibility is to make sure that these number start increasing,” added Faith.

Elizabeth in class with her student Esther Gidongo.  (UgandaPartners Photo)

The main question they ask themselves is how they can keep providing good quality education and also attract a good number of students in the nursing program. In future, they are looking at revising the nursing curriculum, modifying their teaching methods to include more dialogue, and the possibility of having both online and classes on campus for undergraduate students.

“We (also) intend to increase work-based learning so as to create an impact on the employability of our graduates, and strengthen employability skills for professional nurses,” Elizabeth said.

Partnerships are key
Partnerships are one way of increasing the number of students coming through the bachelor and master degree pipeline. Two years ago, partnerships were forged with Bwindi and Kagando Schools of Nursing, which both offer Diplomas in Nursing. The two women intend to maintain this partnership, with the hope that if diploma graduates are interested in getting their BA in nursing, they would come to UCU.

They also hope to continue the tradition of grooming other students. And part of doing this is having an inclusive education. According to Faith, “students have different learning needs. Our responsibility is to come down to the level of students, and make sure that every student is included in the conversation we are having on a particular subject.” Being humble as a teacher also is important.  Teachers can learn from students.

Success viewpoints
What does success look from the two mentored nurse perspectives?

For Elizabeth, success is “when students graduate and excel in every sphere of their lives. I understand that teaching is not about me, but about what kind of graduates we put out in our communities. What makes me happy is when I see a nursing graduate having a job… [and] when our graduates are confident in what they are doing in the field.”

For Faith: “We want to see as many people come to the program and when they go out there, they are relevant to the communities they are serving.”

They are excited about the future of nursing in Uganda. According to Faith, nursing in Uganda was previously the career for someone who couldn’t qualify for university learning.

“People have looked at nursing as some kind of diversion in career,” Elizabeth said. “If you failed in this field, you can be a nurse. This led to so many people in Uganda to disrespect the field and the nurses themselves.”

Having PhD graduates within Uganda’s nursing field would enhance the profession’s credibility.  “The more qualified nursing graduates are, the more chances there are that Uganda’s healthcare system is going to improve,” Faith said.

This is pertinent to their responsibility as nurses and lecturers themselves, to change the perception of nursing and nurses at UCU and in Uganda.

“We want to let people know that the nursing field is for academicians and professionals who want to give quality nursing services to the communities in Uganda,”  said Elizabeth.

***

The Nursing Department at UCU is grateful for the special partnership they have with Bethel University. And  these two women are specifically  thankful to God, Uganda Partners’ support,  and UCU leadership for investing in their growth as lecturers. If you are interested in supporting UCU’s Nursing Department or its students, contact the Uganda Partners’ Executive Director, Mark Bartels, at  mtbartels@gmail.com.

Also follow our Facebook, Instagram and Linkedin pages.

Uganda Christian University faculty member’s book, which is published in 30 languages

‘Mother tongue’ translation project elevates literacy for Uganda’s children

News, , , , , , ,


Uganda Christian University faculty member’s book, which is published in 30 languages
Uganda Christian University faculty member’s book, which is published in 30 languages 

By Patty-Huston Holm

What if after years of affectionately calling the woman who gave birth to you by the name “mother,” you are told she had to be addressed as “maama wange?” At the same time, your mother’s brother that you grew up knowing as “uncle” is now “kojja wange.”

The words you heard and spoke with emotional attachment in your western, predominately English-speaking country since birth takes a back seat to a Ugandan tribal language called Luganda. Now, everything you read and say is no longer in English, but in Luganda.

Cornelius Wambi Gulere, senior lecturer in literature, at Uganda Christian University (UCU)
Cornelius Wambi Gulere

That, according to Cornelius Wambi Gulere, senior lecturer in literature, at UgandaChristian University (UCU), is similar to what happens with Ugandan children born into tribes speaking more than 65 different languages and dialects before going to schools where English is spoken and read. Not only do the children drift from the native language but also pull away from the feelings associated with those first words, the desire to be creative when putting words together and the excitement for reading and writing.

Project possible because of UCU Partners
The UCU Department of Languages and Literature project of creative writing, translation and publishing for children strives to change that – one book at a time.  With most of the financial backing from an anonymous donor through UCU Partners, English stories with illustrations are being translated and published into the “mother tongue.” From April to October of 2018, students and staff members at UCU and Uganda’s Kyambogo University had translated 1,000 stories into around a dozen languages.  Among the languages in the project are Ateso, Acholi, Kumam, Rukhonzo, Lusoga, Luganda, Kiswahili, Rufumbira, Kinyarwanda, Runyankore-Rukiga, and Runyoro-Rutooro.

Peer review to assure literacy quality is part of the process. In addition to Cornelius, others helping with that review are Manuel Muranga, Monica Ntege, Constance Tukawasibwe and Peter Mugume, among others.

A western humanitarian strategy has been to increase literacy in underdeveloped countries by donating books in English – an appreciated action especially in a country like Uganda where the government does not provide financial support for libraries. The less recognized but effective approach to fighting illiteracy, however, is to reinforce reading through the words children hear first.

“When reading is familiar, it is easier and more enjoyable,” said Dr. Cornelius, who has had his original children’s book, “A Very Tall Man,” published in 30 languages. “Plus, literacy increases with the more languages you can read.”

Words + illustrations = Creativity
And the value of illustrations with stories should not be overlooked.

“Pictures often carry more messages,” he said. “Ask a child to tell his own story by looking at the pictures, and watch something amazing happen. The illustrations increase creativity and lifelong enjoyment with books.”

For the Department of Languages and Literature in the UCU Education and Arts Faculty, the children’s literature project has benefits beyond serving Uganda’s children. It offered opportunities for interdisciplinary and off-campus collaboration.  Translators include UCU’s own students and staff – undergraduates from Journalism and Media studies and the librarian at the Mukono campus, for example – and students at Kyambogo University in Kampala. Support also comes from the Uganda Community Libraries Association, local community families and the free on-line children’s Web sites of Story Weaver and African Storybook. Besides UCU Partners, other literacy support has come from Hewlett and Neil Butcher Associates.

UCU Student translator, Buryo Emmanuel Noble
UCU Student translator, Buryo Emmanuel Noble

“I started learning English when I was 6 or 7,” second-year journalism/media studies student Buryo Emmanuel Noble recalled. “I wanted to keep speaking my native language, but it was hard because I was in boarding school.”

Buryo was one of the project translators, doing the work from English to Runyankore-Rukiga without charge because he not only enjoyed doing it but felt it would help young children from his Kiruhura home in western Uganda.  He smiled as he recalled the story he translated.  It was about a sheep who wanted to leave the city and get back to his country home.

Another UCU student translator, Babirye Dinnah, also in journalism/media studies, translated from English to Luganda a story about a hare and hyena. The lessons were about trust, honesty and laziness.  Her first career goal is to be a news anchor, but after the project, she realizes that with her knowledge of five languages, she might be able to get a job as a translator after obtaining her bachelor’s degree.

“It’s very important for children to know their local language to interact with family and know about their family history,” she said.

According to Cornelius, the next step beyond the initially funded translation is to have a doctoral studies program focused on children’s literature.

++++

One of UCU’s core values is service. Faculty and students seek to live this out by connecting what they are teaching and learning in the classroom to the broader society, meeting the needs of Ugandans who may never set foot on the University campus. If you are interested in supporting projects like this one in Uganda, contact Mark Bartels, UCU Partners’ Executive Director, at mtbartels@gmail.com.

Also follow our Facebook, Instagram and Linkedin pages.

(BarefootLaw Photo)

UCU graduates in BarefootLaw seek justice in un-just world (Part II of II)

UCU Alumni, UCU School of Law, , , , , ,


By Brendah Ndagire

Timothy Kakuru, BFL Program Director (BarefootLaw Photo)
Timothy Kakuru, BFL Program Director (BarefootLaw Photo)

This second of two segments follows last week’s story of how UCU Law graduates are making a difference in the lives of Ugandans with the non-profit BarefootLaw (BFL) organization. This week features an interview with BarefootLaw’s Program Director, Timothy Kakuru,  to understand why BFL is doing the type of legal work across Ugandan communities. This interview is edited for clarification purposes.

What attracted you to Uganda Christian University Law School?
When I applied for the law program at UCU, it had a very good reputation among legal practitioners in Uganda. Before I came to UCU, all I knew about (studying) law is that you were in the program to graduate and make money. That I would become a lawyer, go to court, (argue a specific case) and get money – to somehow become rich. After I got to UCU, I learned that they were other ways to use my law degree. Primarily, UCU School of Law put a Christian aspect to legal practice, which changed the dynamics (of practice) for many of us (law students and graduates). I know many UCU graduates who are working within the non-profit field, because for the most part, the law program at UCU was about service, doing work for the greater good of the community, than serving to gain some sort of financial gain. Most other law schools in Uganda teach law in (the lens) of justice, but in UCU, it was not only through (the perspective of) justice but also in terms of Christian ethics.

How is the Christian ethic approach different?
Justice is what is right, according to the law. The difference lies in how a crime is prosecuted. For example, if someone burns your house, justice for you would be in terms of (monetary) compensation. To put a Christian aspect to that example, then one seeks to understand why the other person burnt your house, and seek to reconcile the two parties. The big gap is that often time in the legal system, there is no element of reconciliation, where as at UCU we were taught to try to reconcile the two parties by looking at the whys and the hows of a specific wrong action, and then solve the issue amicably.

How did BarefootLaw evolve?
The BarefootLaw was incorporated in 2013 as non-profit legal agency.  The idea of BarefootLaw came from Gerald Abila in 2012 who begun a Facebook Page to share legal information. I met him at Law Development Centre in 2013 and he shared the idea with me, I liked it and agreed to join him and slowly the team grew from there. The grand idea was to make justice available to people through giving them legal information. The crux of it was that if people knew their rights, then they would be able to enforce them. They would not really need legal representation because they would be able to avoid (potential) conflicts. For example, if that businessman knew that defilement was a crime, he would avoid having relationships with young girls. Many people are not aware that certain actions are legal offenses. The idea was to provide as much legal information that people would know that they would avoid engaging in crimes.

Left to right, Isaac, Timothy and Gerald, Co-founders of Barefoot Law. (BarefootLaw Photo)
Left to right, Isaac, Timothy and Gerald, Co-founders of Barefoot Law. (BarefootLaw Photo)

What did the implementation process of the idea look like?
We thought using technology would be our best strategy. Gerald (CEO) had already opened up a FaceBook page and I came on board to partner in writing content and publishing. Later, we came up with the an idea of doing sms, small call centers, website platforms and other mechanisms including community outreach and legal training with people in rural communities. We thought this would be our way of empowering people with legal information so that they may be able to avoid crime, or know what to do in case of a criminal offense.

But why BarefootLaw as a non profit legal agency and not as a profit-making law firm?
I had worked with the Uganda Law Council during my time at LDC, and had witnessed how many people had been taken advantage of. The Uganda Law Council disciplines lawyers. There were cases where lawyers were accused of taking someone’s property such as land, and in other cases a son of an elderly man working with corrupt lawyers to take away his father’s land. I thought I was already in a toxic law field. There were backlog of cases dating to 1994, and just so many unethical issues that was disillusioning, and I was not ready to jump into such a legal (justice) system.

I had always wanted to do something more meaningful and impactful to the ordinary person with my law degree. BarefootLaw to me was an opportunity for us to have every individual be ‘their own lawyer’ – we thought if people knew just enough information about law or human rights, they would be able to know if, for instance, you are entitled to bail once you have been arrested and detained for more than 48 hours. BarefootLaw is about making sure that ordinary people are empowered by understanding their human rights.

How do you reach out to people?
We have a very big social media presence. We have over 200,000 Facebook followers on our platforms, and in that sense most people do come to us for legal help. We do have community outreaches in some Districts, such as Soroti, Arua, Apach, Lira, and we try to get as many people as possible. We have an SMS and call center platform where most people can reach us. In a day, we can get about 50 cases. Some days are more others days less. Some cases are serious, others are not.

What has stood out for you working with BFL?
Most of the lawyers who work with us at BFL are from UCU. They are UCU graduates. And this shows that we are attracting young lawyers to do things differently within the Uganda legal system. As you may know, money drives most people, including in Uganda. And at BFL we try to challenge that by providing our services at a free cost in most cases. The admirable thing about BFL is that people who work with us are aware that they are not doing it primarily for the money.

***

Stories such as Timothy’s and the experiences of the people they have walked with to seek free legal support, are the reason why Uganda Partners supports law students so that they may have access to empowering and Christ centered education – a type of education that is making a huge difference in their communities. If you are interested in supporting students who are making a difference in the communities around Uganda such as Timothy Kakuru and the UCU graduates team at BarefootLaw, contact Mark Bartels, UCU Partners’ Executive Director, at  mtbartels@gmail.com. Also follow our Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn pages.

Timothy and BFL colleagues in Belgium receiving the 2017 King Baudouin African Development Prize.

UCU graduates in BarefootLaw seek justice in un-just world

UCU Alumni, UCU School of Law, , , , , ,


By Brendah Ndagire

Timothy and BFL colleagues in Belgium receiving the 2017 King Baudouin African Development Prize.
Timothy and BFL colleagues in Belgium receiving the 2017 King Baudouin African Development Prize. (BarefootLaw Photo)

 “What,” an anxious young man began, “does punishment for defilement mean?”

It was 2014. James (not his actual name) hopelessly asked the question to lawyers at BarefootLaw (BFL), a nonprofit legal organization founded in the Ntinda, greater Kampala area, Uganda.

The lawyers responded: “The maximum punishment for defilement is life in prison, and if it is aggravated defilement, someone may be subjected to capital punishment.”

The BFL legal team then received a message from James detailing what happened to his 12-year-old sister in Eastern Uganda’s Lganga District. A powerful businessman was accused of sexual abuse/defilement of the young girl. The man was caught in the act and taken to the police, but the offender negotiated with the police and was let go. He had paid the child’s mother some compensation to get the mother to drop the charges.

But the older brother couldn’t forget. He knew that his younger sister had been raped and deserved more than a monetary payoff by the perpetrator and a brush off by police. Despite the mother’s refusal to press on past her compensation and no help from Ugandan legal prosecutors, James reached out to BFL to reopen and proceed with the case.

According to BFL lawyers, no one should be able to compensate his way out of a rape/defilement charge. BFL took on the case of James and his sister. Two years later, there was a conviction of three year’s imprisonment for the perpetrator. Not enough, but some vindication.

“The news of the conviction made our year,” said UCU Law graduate Timothy Kakuru. “It made us realize that no matter how hopeless the case may be we have to keep encouraging the person we are helping to get justice.”

Timothy Kakuru leads a workshop with BFL beneficiaries. (BarefootLaw Photo)
Timothy Kakuru leads a workshop with BFL beneficiaries. (BarefootLaw Photo)

Stories like James’ are part of many successful stories Timothy’s BFL  creates every year. Timothy shared another story of a young woman who was working in a security company. She was sexually harassed by one of her male bosses. Many times she had reported the abuse but nothing happened to the culprits. In Uganda, oftentimes when the victims of sexual violence report such abuses they are met with such accusations as: “You invited it… it was your fault…the way you were dressed.” The victims of sexual violence are often blamed for what has happened to them.

Another young woman, working in the IT department of an organisation got a video recording of her being harassed by security officials. She hoped she could use the video to sue the company, but the company decided to fire her and tried to get her arrested for stealing their company video.  By the time she came to BFL for justice, she was very terrified because officials were threatening her.

Barefoot Law guided her to notify her employers of her intention to sue, detailing all the laws broken by her bosses at the security company, and listing out how much (money) she could ask for in terms of compensation. The lawsuit according to Timothy,  would have included sexual abuse, wrongful termination, and  mental suffering/health. The letter got into the hands of the Human Resource Manager and later in the hands of the director of the company. To protect its image, after receiving a letter from her,  a week later, the company m informed her that it would compensate her.

“In the end, she decided not to go ahead with the lawsuit because it was going to be a very long and tiring process, and she was happy with the decent financial compensation received. This helped to restore her dignity,” said Timothy.

++++

COMING UP: Next week, UCU Partners will share more of an interview with BarefootLaw co-founder Timothy Kakuru.  Included will be more details how Barefoot Law got started and how more lives have been transformed by this non-profit organization.

+++

If you are interested in supporting students who are making a difference in the communities around Uganda such as Timothy Kakuru and the UCU graduates’ team at Barefoot Law, contact Mark Bartels, UCU Partners’ Executive Director, at mtbartels@gmail.com. Also follow our Facebook, Instagram and Linkedin pages.

“I was sick and you visited me…truly I tell you whatever you did for the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” – Matthew 25:36-40

UCU Launches School of Medicine with foresight, planning, prayer

UCU School of Medicine, , , , ,


By Patty Huston-Holm

“I was sick and you visited me…truly I tell you whatever you did for the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” – Matthew 25:36-40
“I was sick and you visited me…truly I tell you whatever you did for the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” – Matthew 25:36-40

This, according to Dr. Ned Kanyesigye, sums up not only the reason that Uganda Christian University (UCU) started a medical school, but also what makes UCU unique in doing it.

That Uganda needs more doctors is without question. The World Health Organization reports 1 doctor per 13,000 Ugandans compared to the 1 per 400 citizens in the United States. To churn out these doctors, Uganda needs more medical schools.  What gives UCU an edge in producing medical practitioners is not only institutional oversight for knowledge and skill, but also the moral and ethical ties to Christianity.

“We know the need,” said Dr. Ned, Dean of the UCU School of Medicine (SoM). “But we’re about quality and not quantity. Our country’s infant mortality rate is high and our life expectancy is low.”

The first 60 students – 50 in medicine and 10 in dentistry and more than half female – started classes in the UCU School of Medicine in early September of 2018 with hopes to graduate in 2022. The selection process was painstaking as five credentialed professionals wove through 500 applicants with impeccable high school transcripts. That number was reduced to 150 who were scrutinized for reading habits, writing and overall communication ability, science expertise, faith, and knowledge of current affairs.

Criteria without wealth consideration
“Whether they had money was low on the criteria,” said Edward Kanyesigye, who is known as Dr. Ned. “I was poor and overcame it.  But clearly they must pay fees or be forced to drop out. ”

The first class of 60 includes bright, energetic young people from all parts of Uganda with a few from African countries of Eritrea, Nigeria, South Sudan, Kenya and Tanzania. They study and live within a hospital complex in Mengo, a hillside community 1.5 miles from the heart of Uganda’s capital city of Kampala and near an archway leading to the King of Buganda palace. They learn from lecturers and books and through practicums at the Mengo hospital.

“We got them exposed to cadavers right away,” Dr. Ned commented. “We prepared them in advance, and all were engaged.”

“Who got the idea for a medical school?” Dr. Ned pondered the question out loud.  In the midst of the planning and a year before the opening, he sat behind his office desk in the UCU Mukono campus Academic Building. “I can’t say it was me. There was collective thought. The Province of the Church of Uganda was talking about it for years. Based on successful health-related programs here at UCU, it was a natural progression.”

In July of 2014, a team of UCU faculty and other Province of Church of Uganda stakeholders (including Mengo Hospital management) met to discuss medical service gaps in Uganda. Seated around a table at Silver Springs Hotel near Kampala, around 30 people looked at data verifying the need beyond Uganda’s already existing 10 medical schools, discussed what a quality health professionals training might look like and examined possible facility and personnel requirements.

Instrumental to the startup was Dr. Miriam Gesa Mutabazi, a senior medical doctor (obstetrician gynecologist by training) and now executive director of the Save the Mothers program at UCU. She assisted with the new school on a consultancy basis to coordinate the day-to-day process of “growing the medical school project.” She was influential in putting together the curriculum and convening meetings of the medical school’s working group on the project.

Adding dentistry and medicine was a natural outgrowth of UCU health-related programs that evolved in the institution’s 21-year history.  In the months before the UCU School of Medicine official launch on September 14, 2018, the UCU Department of Health Sciences became the School of Medicine, folding in the already existing programs of nursing, public health, and Save the Mothers health administration with the new medicine and dentistry tracks.

“Nobody said ‘medical school’ right away,” Dr. Ned. “But most of us, including the Vice Chancellor (Rev. Canon Dr. John Senyonyi), knew that was why we were there at that meeting four years ago.  In the end, it was unanimous.”

Dr. Ned, center, with some of the first students for the new medical school
Dr. Ned, center, with some of the first students for the new medical school

UCU-Mengo Hospital collaborative
The Mengo Hospital and UCU collaboration was a given with UCU’s quality standing among East African universities, UCU’s nearby Kampala campus and Mengo’s reputation as Uganda’s oldest hospital and its modernization in the 121 years since its inception. In addition to acknowledging the need, both partners already had shared values of ethics, holistic practices, compassion and “witness of Jesus Christ.” A medical school supports the UCU strategic plan to increase science programs and its design to enhance evidenced-based practice and research. The programing also aligns with the Uganda’s goal to expand science-related careers.

As with any new project, there were bumps in the road, Dr. Ned recalled. The start date was later than the original plan due to the approval process of the National Council of Higher Education. Under God’s plan that “in all things God works for the good of those of love Him, who have been called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28),” however, Dr. Ned pointed out that the delay translated into a higher quality program. The added time allowed more study about staffing, facilities, curriculum, student applications, tuition, governance and overall design.

Data-driven initiative
Data was a main driver.  More than half of Uganda’s citizens have no access to public health facilities, and 62% of health care posts are unfilled. Women and their babies are dying during the birth process. Respiratory and blood pressure issues are increasing alongside HIV/AIDs, tuberculosis, malaria and diabetes.

In addition to foundational programs required of all UCU students and renovated space, the start of the program includes:

  • Anatomy, Physiology and Biochemistry curriculum guided by full-time lecturers and part-time teachers;
  • Old Testament Bible Study;
  • Clinical specialists (pediatrics, medicine, surgery, gynecology); and
  • Hands-on skill training to compliment video, textbook and lecture content.

Subsequent years could enable allowing some students to opt out of courses based on their high qualifications, including experience; conducting internships and practicums at various locations; and attaining degrees beyond the initial two (medicine, dentistry) to those in pharmacy, biomedical laboratory science and nursing science.

“We continue to be besieged by calls and emails from potential students wanting in,” Dr. Ned said. “Medicine is a highly competitive field. We want applicants who are ready to apply social responsibility, empathy, integrity, individual and team skills and problem solving and to engage in lifelong learning.”

Among outcomes required for the UCU School of Medicine graduates is wellness. They need to practice and teach disease prevention and cure and describe and prescribe for illnesses and injuries.

Need for student sponsorship
That the first class of UCU School of Medicine is up to the tasks is without question. The biggest hurdle is money for staffing, equipment and students.  Tuition is $4,100 a year (includes room and board) for each of the five years. Sponsors are needed. In addition to full support:

  • Every gift of $150 will provide library materials for one student.
  • 25 donors giving $50/month will buy the physiology simulator.
  • $500 scholarships will help offset the costs for students since most Ugandans live on $2 per day.
  • 4 donors giving $2,500 will help the School obtain the anatomy software needed this year.

“While we spent time in both prayer and study for this to happen, clearly we need support,” the dean said.

For Dr. Ned, this new venture is just one of many in his career that has taken him throughout Uganda and in various medical-related leader and teacher positions that include practicum related to patient care, tobacco control and the fight against HIV/AIDS, among others. He is finding the possibilities exciting not because of any personal legacy but because of ability impact positive change.

“We are in the business of mankind so wherever the need is, we hope we can help meet it,” he said.

+++

More information about the Uganda Christian University School of Medicine can be obtained at https://www.ugandapartners.org/priority-projects or http://ucu.ac.ug/component/k2/item/25-ucu-to-launch-her-medical-school.

Support from the United States can be addressed to Mark Bartels, executive director, UCU Partners, at m.t.bartels@ugandapartners.org or https://www.ugandapartners.org/donate/ To support the UCU School of Medicine from Uganda, send mobile money on 0772 770852 (Uganda Christian University) or email development@ucu.ac.ug.

++++

Patty Huston-Holm of Ohio in the USA is a visiting UCU faculty member, working on various writing projects and serving as the volunteer communications director with the UCU Partners NGO that is based in Pennsylvania, United States. 

UCU Graduate Anna Betu at her job in Kyaka II Settlement, Kyegegwa District

UCU graduate work to ‘undo violence’ for ‘peaceful co-existence’ in Kyaka II Refugee Settlement

Scholarship, UCU Alumni, , , , ,


By Brendah Ndagire

UCU Graduate Anna Betu at her job in Kyaka II Settlement, Kyegegwa District
2018 UCU Graduate Anna Betu at her job in Kyaka II Settlement, Kyegegwa District (Western Uganda)

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”
Nelson Mandela (1918-2013)

Anna Betu, a 2018 Uganda Christian University (UCU) graduate and a recipient of the UCU Partners Sponsorship program, is wasting no time in doing what the late South African leader practiced and believed. Before July, when she attained her prestigious First Class Degree (a 4.5 of 5.0 Grade-Point Average) in Bachelors of Arts in Governance and International Relations, she was already working. She was employed as a Protection Assistant by the  Danish Refugee Council, accompanying predominantly Congolese and Burundian refugees resettled in Kyaka II Settlement, Kyegegwa District (Western Uganda).

There are about 25.4 million refugees of ethnic cleansing, civil war and genocide worldwide, according the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) 2018 report. Just days before Anna Betu’s UCU graduation, this interview was conducted at the Kyaka settlement which supports more than 70,000 refugees from the Republics of Burundi and the Congo.

What inspired you to pursue the Governance and International Relations Program at Uganda Christian University (UCU)?
Anna Betu, a 2018 Uganda Christian University (UCU) graduate and a recipient of the UCU Partners Sponsor programI first wanted to study Procurement and Logistics but when I looked at the educational trends in Uganda, there were very many people who had (studied) procurement and logistics. In addition to getting an education that would lead to a job, I wanted to try out something different. Since my childhood, I have been fascinated by politics, governance and leadership. When I went to UCU, and saw that they had a program in Governance and International Relations, this seemed a good fit. I have always wanted to be a leader, and I felt like this program would be something that would help understand how to lead our own people and how different countries relate with each other.

How has your education at UCU prepared you for your vocation at the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) Uganda?
The Governance and International Relations Program is only (available) at UCU. I am the first UCU graduate to work (with DRC). I had classes on refugees, international law, peace-building, communication, public and international relations. My all-round education has enabled me to implement here most of the things I studied. Refugee conditions are an international relations issue. Because of what I learned at UCU, I am equipped with the expertise (to understand ) how we engage with particular (refugee) cases. I see that some governments are not standing up to what has been ratified within the international laws concerning refugees and their protection. When I look at the current conflict in the Congo and the rest of the world, I understand their root causes because that’s something we studied extensively throughout our program. As a result of the classes I took on international law and relations, I am the only person that assists our organization’s lawyer to ensure that the legal issues of refugees are settled.

As a beneficiary of the UCU Partners Scholarship, how was the scholarship helpful to you?
After eight years of being out of school due to financial difficulties, most universities did not look at me as a credible candidate for their programs. What I am giving back to the community is very little compared to what UCU Uganda Partners has invested in me.

The financial support I received from Uganda Partners is now benefiting 70,000 people here at Kyaka II Settlement.

Because a few individuals gave (money) towards my education, I am able to be in this position to give support to vulnerable people in settlement communities. The Uganda Partners’ scholarship has given me hope and inspired me to look beyond a Bachelor’s degree. I would love to have a Masters or even a PHD and become a Consultant on immigrants and refugees in Uganda and in Africa at large. This UCU Partners’ scholarship has laid a wonderful foundation. I am very empowered and very hopeful about my future, my children’s future, and the futures of refugees.

Anna (third from right) and Faith Atim, Refugee Reception Center Assistant, with the cooks at the refugee reception center, Kyaka II
Anna (third from right) and Faith Atim, Refugee Reception Center Assistant, with the cooks at the refugee reception center, Kyaka II

Tell us about your experience accompanying refugees in Kyaka II Settlement community?
I had my internship here. My performance as a student laid the groundwork for me to be a full-time DRC employee even before I graduated from UCU. I wanted to come back and they wanted me to come back. During my internship, I developed relationships with my clients that are building even more now. But as a full-time employee, I am more accountable to refugees. It is important to evaluate my success by looking at the progress and happiness of my clients. Some of my clients come to me when they are very sad, and after interacting with them, and solving their problems, I see them smiling. My success is then fulfilled by their smiles, and happy faces. Obviously, every context has its own challenges. Each refugee has his/her struggles. War affects women, children, and men differently. Some people come out of (the war areas) traumatized, disabled, unaccompanied, and my job is to walk with them in their healing journey. I pray for their healing, and every morning in my devotion, I set aside a time to pray for refugees and our staff who accompany them.

While Uganda has had an open-door policy towards refugees, other countries have closed their doors to migrants. Amidst this and other challenges faced by refugees here and beyond, what keeps you committed to the work you are doing at the Kyaka II refugee community with DRC Uganda?
The innocence of the people I work with keeps me committed to the work I am doing. They are victims of violence. I understand that I work with victims of violence and together as a (DRC) community, we are committed to find a plan that would make their lives better. I may be a drop in the ocean that is working against the daily structures that cause violence, but the truth is I am working from the bottom up approach to undo violence to educate young people and adults in the settlement on the impact of violence, what they can do to solve violence, and learn about peaceful coexistence.

Finally, what is your advice to current UCU students?
Understand your God-given purpose. We are occupying a very globalized space. Take time to identify your space and operate from that space to transform your community. And identify a problem in your community and be part of solving it. Finally, be passionate about something you are doing and love it.

+++

For more information about how you can sponsor a student who might make a difference as Anna is, contact Mark Bartels, UCU Partners executive director, at mtbartels@gmail.com.

Also, follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.

UCU’s Africa Policy Centre Joins Fight to End Child Sacrifice in Uganda

News, , , , ,


By Alex Taremwa

On the sidelines of the Hope Event organized by Kyampisi Childcare Ministries at the Kampala Serena Hotel is Joseph Nkunda, a 54-year-old pastoralist in the rural district of Nakasongola along the Kampala-Gulu highway.

Nkunda narrates that after two of his children – Canaan, 10, and Sylvia Nkunda, 7, returned from school in 2009, he asked them to look after the cows as he went to buy food from the market.  After the father left, a man the children didn’t know approached them with a sharpened machete and claimed that the cows had destroyed his garden. The children denied the claim, but the man overpowered them.

Joseph Nkunda, left, with his son, a child sacrifice survivor
Joseph Nkunda, left, with his son, a child sacrifice survivor, talks about how his son survived and his daughter was brutally murdered by a witch doctor.

“He commanded them to walk ahead of him so he could go and show them the garden that the cows had allegedly destroyed and since he had the machete, they could not object,” Nkunda continued.

When they got to a shrub, he motioned the children to sit on the ground. The boy refused, but the accuser grabbed him by the neck and his sister by the hands.

“He cut the boys neck from behind and the boy fell flat, lifeless, unconscious and bleeding profusely. He left him for dead and then cut the girl into several pieces, drained her blood, took her heart and her genitals,” the father recounted both privately at an August 24, 2018, cocktail reception for about 75 people and later that night in front of 1,000 parents, children, Ugandan officials and non-profit representatives from Uganda, Australia and the United States.

Because the boy was unconscious, the witchdoctor thought he was dead. But he wasn’t. Upon his return, Joseph Nkunda could not believe his eyes to find his children – ones he left alive and well an hour ago – lying lifeless in the jungle. He fainted.

Fast forward, the boy survived, and the witchdoctor was arrested and sentenced to life imprisonment. Nkunda believes the sentence could have been tougher and more lives saved had there been stricter laws in Uganda against child sacrifice and trafficking.

“Most cultures and traditions in Uganda still believe in appeasing the ‘gods’ with blood sacrifice of mostly children for they are considered pure and holy,” William Kasoba, a children’s activist, said.

Kasoba claimed that in Uganda, two of every 10 children are classified as targeted for child sacrifice. He added that some sacrifices are condoned by parents for material gain and that the business of witchcraft under the guise of “traditional healers, herbalists” is thriving.

Peter Sewakiryanga, left, executive director of the KCM organization
Peter Sewakiryanga, left, executive director of the KCM organization serving as the primary sponsor of the child sacrifice awareness event in Kampala, and Karen Lewis, Australia, holding a baby she is hoping to adopt, offered their voices about child protection. While not a victim of witch doctors, the baby falls in the category of “vulnerable” because he was one of two twin boys tossed out age two weeks by a mother who called them “snakes.”

This is where Uganda Christian University (UCU)’s think-tank Africa Policy Centre (APC) comes in. A study conducted by the Centre has been shared by the Parliamentary Committee on Children’s Welfare demanding for tougher legislation on child sacrifice.

“Prosecutors currently rely on the Penal Code Act, the Prevention of Trafficking in Persons Act, and a series of legislation designed to enforce constitutional provisions on the right to life, personal liberty and freedom from torture, cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment. The relevant parts of Ugandan law shows how inadequate it is to address child sacrifice,” Dr. Dickson Kanakulya, a Senior Researcher at the APC, said.

Kanakulya agrees with Justice Margaret Mutoni that the current law is too lenient for criminals who kidnap children with the intention to kill them but somehow the children survive. Parents who have lost their children to the vice call for even tougher and more extreme sentences – like the death penalty.

“The perpetrators are charged with manslaughter or kidnapping and are given lighter sentences that do not send out a clearer message that the practice is unacceptable and condemned,” he added.

In their legislation proposal, the APC calls for a unified missing persons database and the implementation of uniform procedures in investigation, training for law enforcement, and minimum standards of investigative excellence. APC also demands that the new legislation should name an NGO (or a network of NGOs) that will deal with all aspects of victim care.

Gloria Dandridge, left, and Chelsea Mack, are affiliated with the Christian law faculty of Regent University, Virginia.
Gloria Dandridge, left, and Chelsea Mack, are affiliated with the Christian law faculty of Regent University, Virginia. They have been working with the Uganda public prosecutions office to shut down witch doctor shrines and impose harsh penalties on perpetrators of child sacrifice.

Regents University in Virginia, a collaborative partner with UCU and the APC, was recognized for its program of bringing new attorneys to help wage the child sacrifice fight through the Uganda Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions. Also applauded for efforts were World Vision; the Ugandan Ministry of Gender and Justice; Operation Underground Railroad, a USA-based anti-trafficking organization; and Droplets in a Stream, an Australia charity focused on helping vulnerable children in Kenya and Uganda.

+++++

To obtain a copy of APC’s analysis of the child sacrifice issue or to learn more about UCU’s APC, contact Dr. Dickson Kanakulya, APC Senior Researcher at tdkana@gmail.com.