Practicum Reflections
Challenges
As the local people in the rural villages here speak Runyankole, a substantial challenge that I faced was my need to rely on an interpreter whenever I enter into the communities. As such, I needed to coordinate with either the CHOs or the Field Coordinator to find time in their very busy schedules to accompany me on field visits, which was not always easy. I also have to acknowledge that interpretation is a highly challenging task, especially for individuals who are not professional interpreters, and what I say in English might not necessarily translate or convey how I intended for it to in Runyankole. For example, in discussions regarding linguistic diversity in our SOWK 699 S03 course, I raised the issue that successful interpretation requires the interpreter to be able to incorporate both the cultural and linguistic aspects of communication as they listen to what is said in one language, immediately analyze what has been said, and reconstruct it into another language. Therefore, I see my own inability to speak the local language as a real hindrance to my capacities as an effective community development worker. Interlinked with the issue of language barrier is that of my being identified as a ‘muzungu,’ which basically means ‘white person.’ While I am not actually white, my comparatively paler skin marks me anyway as a muzungu and automatically makes me an 'outsider.' What is probably most troublesome about this is that muzungus are usually associated with having a lot of money. For example, in an interview where I had to rely on a local community member to act as interpreter, the conversation kept returning to the community needing external funding even though I was there to look into how the community had independently developed their own successful emergency transport plan. In such a situation, I feel that a local member of the HCU team would have been more effective in my place. Another challenge that I faced was with my own impatience. I am the type of person that likes to get tasks done and check them off the list. But with HCU, I would think that I had finished a project, and then I would get feedback from various parties over time and would have to go back and make multiple revisions. With the first couple of projects, I felt honestly quite frustrated. But I grew to appreciate the collaboration that resulted from receiving and incorporating input from others, and also came to recognize this as just a part of being a team player. It has also been difficult to acknowledge that changes resulting from my work do not happen immediately and I may not even really get to see any of the impacts from most of my projects before I leave Uganda in October. As such, I try to stay mindful that any sort of sustainable and long-term change cannot be achieved overnight and am encouraged even when, for example, VHTs in a community say that they have recently heard of emergency transport plans and have started thinking of developing one for themselves. Highlights I have enjoyed being able have practical work experiences with HCU that are very different from all of my previous experiences as this has given me the chance to grow as a social worker and explore more of what direction I want to take in the future. For example, I was able to apply new skills and knowledge gained from the MSW course work, especially from the SOWK 677 S01 research course. Also, previously I had worked for the most part with individuals and families with a lot of face-to-face interaction. With HCU, I spent much of my time in the office developing and revising documents and materials and my focus was on entire communities. Such experiences have given me the opportunities to reflect on what I enjoy most and what I do not necessarily enjoy as much, and as such, have been very inspiring. One of the best parts of being in Uganda and working with HCU is that I have had the opportunities to go into the communities and see the local contexts for myself so that I can get a stronger understanding of both the assets and barriers that the communities have. For example, in my literature review on emergency transport plans, I had read about how significant poor roads are in delaying access to health care and about the use of stretchers, or ‘ngozis.’ Then when I later went into the community of Ryomiyonga, I had to travel on such described incredibly poor roads myself and had the chance to see a demonstration of how a ngozi is used to transport people in emergencies. Experiences such as this really helped me understand and appreciate the circumstances within which local community development initiatives are taking place. And another definite highlight has been the chance to work alongside the HCU staff, all of which demonstrate incredibly strong work ethic and unwavering dedication to the local communities. I have learned so much from them about the locality, about development work, and about what it means to support one another as a team. Additionally, it has been amazing meeting some of the VHTs, who I find to be amongst the most inspiring individuals I have ever met. As life-long volunteers who were selected by their fellow community members, these VHTs dedicate themselves to the health and overall development of their communities, strive to be exemplary role models for others, and work tirelessly for their communities. When I was holding focus groups with VHTs on the subject of 'functional' VHTs, I was beyond impressed by what they expect of themselves as volunteers. I believe that VHTs embody so much of the strengths that can contribute to successful development and their commitment and hard work cannot be commended enough. |
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