The Ebb and Flow of My Fulbright Work in Uganda

My work life as a Fulbright here in Uganda has ebbed and flowed over the past 4 months. On one hand, I strive to be mindful and savor the benefit of sabbatical from much of my WMU work (see prior post on professional navel gazing). The past three academic years spanning 2019-2022 were incredibly intense. They included a season of expected career milestones such as applying for tenure and promotion as well self-driven pursuit of sabbatical and the Fulbright. However, they occurred with added stress and exhaustion within the context of uncontrollable, external factors such as the COVID-19 pandemic, societal and political turmoil, and the precarious and uncertain state of the higher education sector. There has been an intensity and pace that I cannot maintain moving forward without burning out, so I am working hard to embrace this time to reflect, reset, and establish- or at least aim to establish- a healthier routine for work. And then, on the other hand, I am constantly aware that the 9.5 month Fulbright contract here in Uganda is so very short. Indeed, it is almost halfway over! I have so many ideas and ambitions for establishing a longer term research and academic partnerships here while also embracing the fun and challenge of leading my first Photovoice study internationally. 

A top highlight so far was accompanying my colleague, Dr. David Musoke into a rural area, very near the shore of Lake Victoria in Wakiso District, to attend a dissemination meeting of his Photovoice research with community health workers (also called village health team members). The focus of the research was integrated malaria prevention, which translated from "public health speak" means focusing on a wider variety of malaria prevention methods in addition to the usual "go tos" of insecticide treated bed nets and indoor spraying. Dr. Musoke has so much experience implementing Photovoice in Uganda and I am lucky that he agreed to partner with me on my Fulbright research AND for me to invite myself to see the process in action in Uganda. It is not easy to have to host someone like me at such an event because there is immediately a focus on the outside visitor with an unearned place at the front of the room with the researcher.  Not only did Dr. Musoke graciously share the stage, but also patiently translated the whole event. The experience was important and helpful to get outside of Kampala into the field to be reminded of the breadth of public health issues in rural Uganda. During my past life in Uganda, I lived in a rural area and spent a lot of time traveling the country to visit health centers and communities, but this was the first such opportunity this time around.  It was also inspiring to learn ideas for to the dissemination of the Photovoice research we will be implementing in a few short months.

Another highlight, albeit with no photographic evidence, was teaching what we at WMU would call "hyflex" classes of first year MPH students with about 35 students in the classroom and another 20 or so joining us online via Zoom. We covered health promotion, health education, public health ethics, the current (at the time) ebola outbreak, and Photovoice with a spirited discussion about the need for decolonization in public health (and everything really). We also covered the odd and sometimes annoying habit of tourists to Uganda taking photos of people living their everyday lives in Uganda as well as my experiences of people staring and every once in a great while touching my hair when I used to ride public transport in Uganda.

Other activities have included reconnecting both socially and professionally with colleagues and friends from my time as a Lecturer/VSO at Uganda Martyrs University, joining a grand celebration with the leadership of Makerere, colleagues at the School of Public Health, and the Uganda Minister of Health to celebrate an honorary doctorate for Dr. Seth Berkley, the CEO of GAVI- a global vaccine alliance,  connecting with Jesuit Refugee Services in Kampala who agreed to serve as the community partner for my upcoming research, and making a wonderful connection with Dr. Swahn former Fulbright Uganda Scholar, currently Dean and Professor at Kennesaw State University who is leading a large study, including a Photovoice component, with adolescent girls in Kampala. Last, but not least as it has consumed a solid share of time to date has been a slow, steady, and sometimes painful process of securing the approvals necessary to conduct my Fulbright research. The experience of presenting and defending my research to the ethics committee (see the photo below of my relief/exasperation from presenting), followed by the 4 pages of requested revisions, had me flashing back to the experience of defending my PhD dissertation a decade ago. Frustrating at times?  Yes, for sure. BUT, this is one of the many experiences that is embedded in the spirit of Fulbright in terms of experiencing something that I am so convinced should be one way from an American perspective in a different and definitely more humbling way. One approval was issued this week (hip hip hooray!) and another one is submitted with hope for approval in the next couple of weeks (fingers crossed).

Next up is presenting my longitudinal qualitative research at an international conference dedicated solely to qualitative methods (so geeked about that!), moving into implementing my research, hopefully teaching more classes, and working on partnerships to sustain after we return home later this year.