By Cayo Gonzalez | Vice President of Operations
Dear donors, friends, and supporters,
With July now almost over, we would like to take this time to express our appreciation for your ongoing support and donations and to update you on the status of our project.
Gulu Women’s Economic Development & Globalization (GWED-G) staff, in partnership with our chapter of GlobeMed at Columbia University, has been working tirelessly during the sunny summer days. As a chapter, we continue to be dedicated to GWED-G’s mission and goals.
As you might know, students in our chapter can become fully immersed in the work and spirit of GWED-G by being a part of the annual Grassroots Onsite Work (GROW) Internship. Students frequently cite the trip as one of their most memorable experiences, and it often motivates them to pursue a career in public health to address the world’s pervasive health inequalities. This summer, five undergraduates had the honor of traveling to Gulu, Uganda for the GROW Internship. Since returning, they have acquired an increased understanding for the importance of the work the chapter does during the school year.
During the trip, the GlobeMed at Columbia University chapter members were able to contribute in several meaningful ways. They conducted home visits of HIV-positive women who are beneficiaries of their village health team. The relationship of these women can be qualified in one or more of the following ways: received seeds to plant and goats, received mama kits, and received psychosocial consulting with the village health workers. The mama kits contain supplies to facilitate a birth that occurs at home or in the hospital.
The team was also able to visit the Lukodi Massacre Memorial. The brutal massacre was committed by the Lord’s Resistance Army in 2004. They interviewed beneficiaries of a trust fund for victims. This fund is part of a transitional justice project that GWED-G has been involved with.
The GROW team also conducted health care visits. This consisted of picking up health workers from a health center in the area and then driving them to parishes. The drive would be 20-30 minutes, which is significant as this would take a considerable amount of time to walk on foot for villagers. Thus, the team made health care more accessible to villagers. The integrated health care visits consisted of: testing for malaria, prescribing pills, testing for HIV, completing physical examinations for pregnant women, and distributing deworming tablets to children.
Though the summer’s internship is now over, we remain fully committed and dedicated to our partnership with GWED-G through our initiatives both on- and off-campus. With your support, GWED-G, in partnership with GlobeMed at Columbia University, can continue to reach vulnerable populations in Northern Uganda. We cannot thank you enough for all the change you enable through your generous donations, which coupled with the funds we raise during the school year go directly to support the projects the GROW team was working while in Gulu!
Please feel free to contact us with any questions or comments, and continue to follow our activities on our websites and social media platforms!
Best Regards,
Cayo Gonzalez
VP Operations
GlobeMed at Columbia University
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