Internship

HELP International Lugazi Uganda

May- August 2011

Last summer I had the amazing opportunity to complete my internship for school in Uganda. I learned so much while I was over there, much more than I could have ever learned sitting in a desk at school. It also gave me a chance to put into practice everything I had learned thus far. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think of my many friends I made over there and how great of an experience it was to work with the most amazing people.

As most of you guys know, I spent 4 months (May-August) in Uganda where we worked with local organizations and groups to help them with their projects and ideas. Together we worked to better the community and the people. Since I am a Health Science major, my main focus was geared towards the health aspect. I had the wonderful opportunity to work in remote clinics testing for Malaria and AIDS. (I even got to spend some time as a patient in clinics and hospitals when I came down with Malaria myself!)

 My main project and the project I headed and was lead for was the Eye and Dental Clinic. I worked with two of the best doctors in the world- Dr. Lule, who was our head dentist, and Dr. Mike Kizoto, who was our head Optometrist. All of the doctors and staff were local Ugandans. I gained so much valuable knowledge from these two doctors. We also met with many other leaders and wonderful people of Uganda as we teamed up with local Rotary Clubs in Kampala. These are some of the best people I have ever met. They are willing to give of their time and money to help those less fortunate and are always looking for ways to better their country. I loved meeting with the clubs and the doctors each week as we planned out the clinic and organized it.

 I thought I would just share a few of my favorite photos in the post below from the 4 months I spent there. I will post more over the next few days of my different adventures and experiences I had. Enjoy!