Why Growing Old Is Admirable No More
The word ‘old’ used to be synonymous with the words: respect, wisdom, intelligence, experience, seniority, blessings, leadership. Old persons (“the elderly”) were seen as a source of inspiration and were responsible for nurturing future generations based on their long life experiences with the notion “Experience is the best teacher” being widely accepted. My father once […]
No Problem Exists in a Vacuum
A colleague made a fascinating comment during a meeting the other day. Deep in my post-Taco Thursday food coma, I did not process his words until long after. “Under staffing is protective in one sense: [they] do not have the resources to pay everyone if the facility was fully staffed.” This blew me away (once […]
ABC, ART, and HIV
Unlike many developing nations struggling with a high burden of HIV, Uganda is failing to reduce its prevalence. Despite over 750 million dollars in aid money each year from the United States government, which focuses largely on infectious disease, the spread of HIV continues to plague vulnerable communities throughout the country. The virus truly does […]
Celebrating the girl child
In response to the call to celebrate the International Day of the Girl Child, October 11th, 2013. Being a global citizen and a patriotic Malawian, celebrating the 11th of October meant a lot to me. I love the themes that cut across the celebration like that of UNICEF, the World Bank, Every Child, Plan International, […]
The American Dream: Call to Service
So a lot of times when people hear of the US, they think of opportunities; it’s the land of milk and honey. Being a Kenyan born and raised in the coastal regions, I have witnessed what the idea of going to the US has done to the ears of those who had not had the […]
The Value of the Co-Fellow Relationship
I remember the first time I saw my co-fellow Michele Sahabo at Yale for training. A fellow had pointed her out to me in the distance, but I stood behind and did not approach her because I was shy and scared. It took me two days to finally approach her. I know this may come […]
Waiting room: My personal experience with patience, hope, and surprises
It’s been ten months or so since I came across Global Health Corps’ (GHC) call for applications for the 2013-2014 fellowship class. Actually, it was my second time applying for this opportunity. This time, I started assembling each and every element carefully, reviewed each position of interest to me many times to weigh it against […]
The Children and Mothers of Karamoja: Who Will Save Them?
“There is a lot to be desired from our government and development partners. We do not have even a single orphanage or child care centre in Karamoja and yet thousands of orphans and abandoned children exist,” said Bishop George Joel Omara of Pentecostal Assemblies of God in one of the meetings held to develop a […]
The Journey to Genuine Social Justice
My vision is to see myself in a place where I am able to make an impact on more people’s lives. Let’s all aim at being in a position where we are able to freely express ourselves and see ourselves really taking part in what we are supposed to be doing! Never be a “ghost” […]
Why We March: Reflections on World AIDS Day 2013
A great deal has changed since the World Health Organization first came up with the idea of World AIDS day in 1987. An HIV-diagnosis is no longer a death sentence, HIV-positive mothers can give birth to HIV-negative babies, and discordant couples can have fulfilling and healthy long-term relationships. However, despite these gains, there’s still a lot of work do. World […]