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The principal goals of our work in Bumwalukani include the following:

1. most crucially, to establish an effective system for the delivery of acute and preventative healthcare to members of this underserved Ugandan community;
2. transition from a system of triage healthcare to one of continuous care by implementing biannual well-child visits for the entire community, all the while monitoring key indicators of overall health;
3. achieve a marked decrease in pediatric malnutrition and in the number of underweight children in the community;
4. curb the devastating spread of common endemic disease caused by preventable microbial infections; and promote and sustain programs in health education, with particular focus on pediatric and maternal health initiatives.

FIMRC strives to develop sustainable programs within the community. Project Bumwalukani saw tremendous growth over the last year with the addition of 5 new staff members, a new community health group, and 15 community health educators (CHEs). The Project realized many noteworthy achievements for both clinic and outreach initiatives:

• Administered health care to 14,205 pediatric and adult patients from throughout Bumwalukani and Bududa district
• Implemented a station system to improve patient flow and management
• Added a laboratory and emergency station to clinic facilities
• Developed a drug formulary to improve the efficacy of drug purchases and distribution
• Hired 5 new clinic team members – including a comprehensive nurse and VCT Coordinator – to expand patient care capacity and quality
• Participated in an emergency and trauma management seminar hosted by the NGO Humanity First with other health centers in the district
• Conducted 2 suturing clinics with clinic staff and CHEs to improve wound care
• Sponsored surgeries for 2 children in the community, including one intestinal surgery in Kampala and one club foot surgery in Kumi
• Improved laboratory testing capabilities with acquisitions of a glucometer, urinalysis test strips, and a hemometer
• Continued laboratory testing for malaria (3,796 samples tested; 19.5% positive), syphilis (100 samples tested; 3% positive), pregnancy (367 samples tested; 20% positive), and HIV (1,316 samples tested; 14.5% positive)
• Continued weekly education to 7 community health groups, including a new Post-Test Club for HIV positive clients and their families
• Constructed a new community health pavilion for community groups and outreach activities
• Recruited and trained 15 community health educators (CHEs) as volunteer health educators for the villages in Bumwalukani. Since its launch in July 2009, the CHE program has conducted 8 village-wide community outreaches, delivered health education to all of FIMRC’s community health groups, provided first aid and health education to 1,802 community members, conducted follow-up home visits to 53 HIV positive clients, and participated in 3 special public health initiatives including Malaria Day and World AIDS Day
• Conducted family planning training session with Health Communication Partnerships, an affiliate of Johns Hopkins University
• Reinstated the Patient Education Program (PEP) – focused on teaching health education to 40+ waiting patients at the clinic on a daily basis
• Held a program for World Malaria Day attended by 30 youth and 50 adults; and implemented quarterly mosquito net treatment days at the clinic
• Conducted World AIDS Day event attended by over 300 community members that included HIV testing, speeches from government officials and health centers, and performances by the post-test club, drama group, and young men and women’s health group
• Implemented weekly voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) services at the clinic, including home-based follow-up visits for 196 positive clients enrolled in FIMRC’s program
• Continued weekly drama outreaches with the FIMRC Acting Community Troop (FACT)
• Initiated Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA) within the drama troupe and former CHIP group; conducted VSLA outreach to other groups within the district
• Implemented functional adult literacy (FAL) courses to over 50 community members
• Participated in Child Health Day activities with Bumwalukani Primary School and AAH
• Participated in government-sponsored mass immunization campaign during July
• Initiated a partnership with AAH for Youth Health Camps – peer-led health education for all primary students attending 6 schools in and around Bumwalukani parish
• Initiated a partnership between the VCT Program and TASO’s partner research center – a national research project on discordant couples
• Held 2 week Life Skills Camp for 60 AAH secondary students during January and April

Ryan Dunn-Komeh, Field Operations Manager
Bumwalukani, Uganda
Ryan hails from Washington DC and spent her younger years hanging out under the cherry blossoms and having long visits with Abe. She loves traveling and enjoys researching new places to explore. While working in Namibia with World Teach, Ryan discovered her passion for public health and earned her MPH from the Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine in 2010. Upon leaving Tulane she moved to Guyana, South America as a Peace Corps Volunteer where she designed and facilitated workshops on health communication which resulted in an increase in effective health talks. Through her workshops, a relationship was forged with the health workers which allowed for culturally appropriate programs for the promotion of healthy lifestyles to be developed. Ryan also has experience developing tools used to track current and emerging health issues, which employ surveillance, monitoring, and evaluation in conjunction with promoting public health activities and outreaches. Ryan’s impressive experience working with health education, promotion, and outreach in the international setting makes her a great asset to Project Bumwalukani! She is excited to once again be in Africa and work with a very special group of dedicated and passionate people at FIMRC’s project site in Uganda.

Elena Phoutrides, Program Manager
Portland, Oregon
Elena is the program manager for Project Bumwalukani, where she worked as a FIMRC Fellow in 2009 and 2010.  Elena is passionate about all of Bumwalukani's programs, especially the Maternal-Child Health program which launched in September of 2009 in collaboration with the local district government.  Elena is originally from Oregon and studied at Boston College where she was a double major in biology and theology.  She hopes to pursue a career in medicine and public health.

Wilson Masawi, Health Outreach Coordinator
Bumwalukani, Uganda
As Health Outreach Coordinator, Wilson supervises numerous preventative health initiatives and also manages FIMRC's network of Community Health Educators. He also serves as the Chairman of the local council of Bumwalukani parish. He lives in Bumwalukani with his wife, Grace and eleven children. In his free time, he enjoys participating in local meetings, tending his garden, and discussing health and political issues.

Richard Kimanayi, Health Outreach Coordinator
Bumwalukani, Uganda
Richard started supporting FIMRC as a volunteer teaching life skills to secondary students.  He soon joined the staff to support health education and later became a Community Health Educator.  In February 2010 he extended his reach to help manage the Community Health Educators program.  As a full-time team member, Richard focuses on health outreach activities that includes teaching all Community Health Educator refresher courses (weekly training review sessions) and tracks the knowledge and progress of each educator.  Additionally, he plans and attends all community outreaches and leads the monthly meeting for health educators.

Violah Kacumita, Comprehensive Nursing Officer
Bumwalukani, Uganda
Violah is our current clinic In-Charge and works to see all ages of patients.  She was born in western Uganda, and completed her secondary school at St. Maria Goret Secondary School in Kabarole district.  After completing her certificate as an enrolled nurse, she then worked at the FIMRC clinic for two years before returning to school at Mulago Nursing School to earn her diploma in Comprehensive Nursing.  We are now pleased to have her working with us again and the community has been so happy to benefit from her services.  She lives in Manafwa district with her son Daniel while her husband is earning his PhD in Economics from the University of Dundee in Scotland.  In her free time she enjoys listening to music, traveling around Uganda, making friends, and spending time with Daniel.

Housing
Volunteers in Bumwalukani will stay together in FIMRC’s Volunteer Guesthouse, or, in the case of high volunteer volume, the Arlington Academy of Hope (AAH) Guesthouse. The AAH Guesthouse shares the same compound as the school teachers’ quarters, is able to accommodate up to 10 volunteers, and is a twenty minute walk from the clinic. FIMRC’s Guesthouse is about a 15 minute walk from the clinic and houses several FIMRC staff members as well as up to 10 volunteers. Beds and mosquito nets are also provided, and weekly laundry service is available. It is important to understand that plumbing may not be readily accessible in this remote, rural village. Outhouses are located on both grounds, and volunteers will be provided water and a bathing shelter in which to take “bucket baths.” Should volunteers wish to have an actual shower, they could bring a Sun Shower, which is filled and heated by the sun, hung and used like a regular shower. These can be purchased at many camping stores.

Meals
Breakfast and dinner are provided at the Volunteer Guesthouse daily. Lunch and afternoon tea are served on weekdays. Meals are locally influenced and are generally heavy in starches and vegetables.

Transportation
All transportation is provided by a reputable hired driver with whom FIMRC has been working since the inception of Project Bumwalukani. Volunteers are met at the airport upon arrival by the driver. Depending on the time of arrival, volunteers may stay the night in a hotel in Entebbe or may travel to Bumwalukani the same day. Total transport time between the airport and site is between six and seven hours. FIMRC provides return transportation to the airport at the end of the trip.

Daily transportation is not a necessity as the volunteer housing quarters are located within walking distance of the volunteering site. However, transportation can be made available for side visits to communities or towns further away.current provider or from a third-party travel insurance company; for your protection, your insurance policy must include medical evacuation coverage.

Availability of health care in Uganda is restricted to major cities, but demand is high and it can be expensive. While doctors and dentists are available throughout many areas of the country, the major hospitals are located in the main cities. FIMRC’s Clinic is a primary care facility and able to treat volunteers up to a certain degree.

Approximately one-third of travelers to less developed countries become ill as a reaction to contaminated food or water. While volunteering, you should monitor your own health so that you can see the doctor right away if you show signs of illness. In the case of malaria, it is much easier to treat when you detect it early. There are several health websites for travelers such as the ones established by the CDC, WHO and popular health journals. Most of the time through, if you get sick, it will be because of something simple like not washing your hands or drinking local, untreated water. Should you feel ill, please inform the clinic staff as soon as possible.

Many people can be unaccustomed to the heat in Uganda and suffer from heat exhaustion. We urge you to stay hydrated with bottled water (supplied for you as part of your lodging/boarding).

The following cost structure reflects individual participation in the Global Health Volunteer Program at Project Bumwalukani:

• $1,349 for trips of up to two weeks, $625 per week thereafter

This cost includes the program donation that supports our project sites as well as housing, food, & transportation. Housing, food and transportation include airport pick up/drop off and transportation to/from project site during volunteer days, lodging in the volunteer guest house and three meals a day for the duration of the volunteer's stay. Excursions and trips for non-volunteer related activity as well as the associated costs are the responsibility of the volunteer.

Additional approximate costs include:

• Roundtrip airfare generally ranging between $1300-$1900
• Recommended spending money of $150 per week, at the discretion of the volunteer

The U.S. Department of State urges American citizens to take responsibility for their personal security while traveling overseas. For general information about appropriate measures travelers can take to protect themselves in an overseas environment, see the Department of State’s pamphlet A Safe Trip Abroad at http://travel.state.gov/travel/tips/safety/safety_1747.html.

Passport
US citizens can enter Uganda with a valid passport. Volunteers who do not hold a US passport must check with their respective embassies for information on travel eligibility. Volunteers are responsible for obtaining or renewing their passports.

Visa
US passport holders MUST obtain a visa in order to travel. Non-US passport holders should check with their respective embassies for current visa requirements and regulations. Volunteers are responsible for ensuring that they are legally eligible to travel abroad. A U.S. passport, valid for at least six months from the date of departure, containing at least two blank pages, is necessary.

Depending on the airline with which you are flying, you may be permitted to purchase your visa on the airplane before landing in Entebbe. We recommend obtaining your visa in advance from the Embassy of the Republic of Uganda. Travelers should obtain the latest information and details from www.ugandaembassy.com or 202-726-7100.

Approximate Visa Fees:
Single entry visa for Uganda is $50, lasting 3 months
Multiple entry for Uganda is $90, lasting 6 months

Your visa application form will ask you to list primary contact information. Please list the following details for our Field Operations Manager:

Ms. Karine Nankam
Field Operations Manager
FIMRC/Arlington Academy of Hope
Bumwalukani Village
Bududa District
011-256-774-386-417

In addition, tourist cards will be provided on board the airplane prior to landing in Entebbe. Be sure to keep the yellow copy, as it will be requested upon departure. Visitors from any country must hold tickets and other documents for onward or return journeys. If passengers arrive without meeting this requirement, they must buy a ticket or they will be deported, at their own expense, on the first available flight.

Vaccinations and Disease Prevention
We refer all volunteers to the information provided by the Centers for Disease Control at www.cdc.gov/travel for the most up to date vaccination recommendations. Please note the different recommendations not only for the country you are visiting, but also for the region in which you will be staying.

A certificate of yellow fever vaccination is required to travel to Uganda. All visitors should take malaria prophylactic drugs. Recommended malaria drugs include doxycycline, malarone, and lariam. It is also advised that all travelers be vaccinated against meningitis, Typhoid and Hepatitis A & B. Please remember to bring sufficient personal medications, if needed, for the entirety of your time away from home.

Mosquito bites can be avoided by using mosquito repellent and a mosquito net (provided at the Volunteer House). Water-borne disease is present in some lakes and ponds, so swimming is not recommended except in designated areas. Travelers to developed countries may become ill as a reaction to contaminated food or water. While volunteering, you should monitor your own health so that you can get help right away if you show signs of illness. Such illness can be prevented through basic measures such as washing your hands and avoiding local, untreated water. Many people unaccustomed to the heat in Uganda can suffer from heat exhaustion. We urge volunteers to stay hydrated with bottled water, which is supplied at the guesthouse.

Flights
Volunteers are responsible for arranging their own flights and must fly in and out of Entebbe International Airport (code EBB). Please click here for further information on flights.

Insurance
Volunteers are responsible for possessing health insurance which covers emergency medical evacuation. Please click here for further information.

FIMRC Payments and Enrollment Forms

Once you work with our team to confirm your volunteering site and trip dates, you will be sent a welcome message via email which will contain instructions for enrollment, as well as deadlines for the submission of materials. If you have questions about this process, do not hesitate to contact missions@fimrc.org or 1-888-211-8575.