As part of my internship with Gulu Women's Economic Development and Globalization (GWED-G) I interviewed women impacted by GWED-G’s work and reported these stories back to the general body of Columbia Students for Global Health Equity and Medicine (CU GHEM). These stories of change allowed me to see the long-term impacts of GWED-G’s work and how our support of their mission benefited women in the future.

I documented the daily tasks undertaken by fellow interns and myself, offering both current updates and reflective insights into our work. Interns met with the GWED-G project teams every Monday to determine our weekly schedule, including which parishes we visited to carry out health awareness campaigns and education. Pamela and Franny, our supervisors, help translate the stories of the women we listened to and learned from. The team also assisted us in collaborating with local health care providers to offer screenings, consultations, and referrals for maternal health, nutrition, and HIV/AIDS-related issues during integrated health outreach.

There were several courses and skillsets that I was able to apply throughout my internship. Anthropology enriched my understanding of the essential improvements needed in public health and informed my major choice. My family's encounters with global and national health care systems further deepened this awareness. My passion for public health arose from my aspiration to integrate the intersections of anthropology with medicine within the global context of public health and policy. My interests combined the biological, social, linguistic, and cultural dimensions of health and medicine in a global and multilingual framework.

I aimed to use sociocultural anthropology to assist underserved communities affected by political and environmental devastations, such as the Ugandans I interviewed. The conflicts Ugandans experienced impacted their society and influenced how biological forces contribute to the spread of diseases and their mutations. A crucial aspect I aimed to utilize from my anthropology degree was the ability to communicate the Ugandan people’s health care options and treatment plans with empathy, considering their feelings and perspectives rooted in their respective cultures. This internship showed me how global public health extends beyond medicine, encompassing the study of culture, and this intersectionality drove my interest in global public health from a political, multicultural, and linguistic perspective.

During my time in Gulu, it was challenging to immerse myself into the culture as deeply as I wanted to. This was largely caused by language barriers and translational issues. In villages where the topics we discussed, such as sexual health and birth control, are controversial, it is crucial to remain respectful and present the information in an objective manner. My commitment was to share information without innuendo or implications that might lead to feelings of accusation or ostracization. My goal was to empower individuals to apply the knowledge within their own cultural frameworks, prioritizing their health and well-being. Under Pam's guidance, it became clearer how to navigate the cultural norms of Gulu while being mindful not to impose Westernized perspectives. I often struggled to grasp the subtleties of the local language and customs, which hindered my ability to communicate fully as I did not speak Acholi. Despite this, I remained focused on the importance of respecting traditions and engaging with the community in a way that honors their way of life. Our role as humanitarians is not to impose values but to provide the community with information they can use to protect themselves within their cultural context.

During my time with GHEIP, my objectives closely aligned with its mission to dismantle the stigma surrounding HIV prevention, treatment, and sexual health advocacy within the cultural context of Northern Uganda. This experience allowed me to engage firsthand in global health advocacy work, which deeply informed my understanding of how to navigate sensitive topics like HIV awareness, counseling, and sexual protection advocacy in a respectful and effective manner. Through my involvement with HIV awareness campaigns and advocacy, I gained invaluable insight into how these efforts can reduce the spread of HIV in local communities. I learned from GWED-G's impactful work in Uganda and observed how their support systems are framed logistically to address reproductive care, gender-based violence, sexual health, and post-natal care. This experience reinforced my commitment to the destigmatization of health interventions by emphasizing the need for communities and governments to overcome cultural barriers that hinder access to essential treatments.