Meet “The Rakai Six”

We landed in Kampala, Uganda on the 27th of May to embark on our summer adventure with the primary purpose of completing our practica with the Rakai Health Sciences Program. We began our trip with a one-week orientation in Kampala coordinated by Susan, an extremely competent and friendly Program Officer from Makerere University’s School of Public Health.
From left: Yen, Christina, Maggie, Susan, Michelle Ashley, Becky

During our week in Kampala, Susan kept us quite busy. We visited the Kasubi Tombs.

Later we headed to the source of the Nile River . . .
From left: Becky, Maggie, Emma (our very funny driver), Ashley, Michelle, Christina, Yen

. . . where we ate whole, fried, delicious tilapia.

We enjoyed the moves of Ndere Troupe.
(VIDEO TO COME WHEN OUR INTERNET CONNECTION IMPROVES)


We also spent time learning about the regional language, Luganda, Uganda’s history and cultures, as well as receiving an overview of the socioeconomic situation of Uganda from the Director of Makerere’s School of Public Health – David Serwadda. He and his colleague were the first to investigate an outbreak of “slimming disease” in Rakai, making them the first to recognize AIDS in East Africa, which “sowed the seeds of what would, in 1987, become the internationally recognized Rakai Health Sciences Program, which has made major contributions to the epidemiology, basic science and clinical science needed for the control of HIV in sub-Saharan Africa.”

On the 4th of June, “play time” was nearly over and we headed south to Kalisizo, Rakai District to begin our work. Six gals, one driver, TONS of luggage – all squeezed in to what, at one time, seemed like a spacious Pajero.


Our last stop with Emma was the equator. Out of the 26 countries I’ve visited, this is my first time south of the Equator!
From left: Becky, Ashley, Yen, Michelle, Christina, Maggie

We finally arrived to our new home for the summer where we were welcomed with warm hugs by our “house mom,” Saoda.