Blessed to be here.

It is my fourth week in Uganda, I can't believe how fast the time is going. When I think ahead to all of my weekends that I already have pretty much planned out up until the end of my trip I am excited but also sad. I want to take in as much as I possibly can while I have this amazing opportunity; unfortunately I don't think 11 weeks is quite enough time. Though in the last 3 weeks I have probably learnt and experienced more than I have in my entire life. Things I may have never witnessed had I not come here. About myself, about life, about my field of work, and about the possibilities that the world has to offer. There is so much more to life than what our city Vancouver can offer, and I feel so blessed every day I am here in Uganda. I have never been more sure of anything as I am sure that this is exactly where I am supposed to be.

Practicum is amazing so far. The real grass roots outreach work we are doing is so satisfying - and exhausting (in a good way). I will try my best to paint a picture of what my days look like. Every day we meet at the Centre for Disability and Rehabilitation Uganda and prepare for the day's outing.  Teresa and I are accompanied by a social worker and occupational therapist named Alex, as well as one or more parents who work with us who either have or have had children with disabilities, or some other personal connection to the issue. We usually walk to the villages, though we sometimes take a mataatu if it is a very far distance. We meet children with disabilities and their families, learn about their condition and history, and make recommendations for what may be done to improve the situation. This could be therapy, appliances, stimulation/play, etc. A lot of what we do is around changing attitudes, educating and supporting the parents, and empowering the family to make positive changes with the resources they have available.

Last week we met a boy named David who is weak in his legs when standing and walking. Using the materials the family had around (trees, rocks, and a machete) we constructed parallel bars for him to use to practise walking back and forth in his yard in front of the home. It was pretty amazing to see what could be done at no cost that will help David immensely. With practise his legs will get stronger and he will be able to walk and run normally.

This is one example of the kind of work I have been doing. I wish I could describe my experience here in better detail but it really is hard to put into words how amazing it has been so far.

-Michell