Lindsey Graham | Assistant News Editor

Tasha Nelson, a junior biology major, will be continuing her journey in the area of pre-medicine by doing missionary work in Uganda this summer.

After three years of studying the medical field, Nelson will be observing and assisting patient care in the East African country. She has planned her own trip to Uganda through a volunteer program called Project Bumwalukani.

“I’ve always wanted to go overseas and do medical mission work somewhere in Africa. So while looking it up, I found this company that has projects all over the world,” Nelson said.

The project is located in the Bududa district of Uganda, and according to project website, “Bududa is a remote zone often labeled as the ‘forgotten district’.”

This project goes through the non-profit organization Foundation for International Medical Relief of Children (FIMRC), and is focused on improving pediatric and maternal health in developing countries.

“They help treat medical problems, but also want to help educate because a lot of problems they treat are preventable, like AIDS. This includes basic health like washing your hands and taking care of yourself,” Nelson said.

According to the FIMRC website, the nonprofit tailors each volunteer’s experience based on their interests, training, and the current needs for the project. Since Nelson has worked as a certified nursing assistant and also both volunteered and job shadowed at hospitals, she felt that clinical work was a good fit for her.

During her time in Uganda Nelson will be “volunteering in the clinic, assisting in patient intake and management, taking patient vitals, observing patient exams, assisting in drug dispensing, and conducting lab tests, and leading health education sessions.”

“I’m most looking forward to the eye-opening experience. I’ve read some of the blogs that talked about the clinic and hospitals I will be going to. I’m excited just to see the difference between the health care systems in the U.S. and in Uganda,” Nelson said.

The FIMRC website discussed Uganda’s need for healthcare facilities, trained medical staff, and medical supplies because of the HIV epidemic, malaria, and other tropical diseases. The country is making slow progress.

According to the World Health Organization, “The health status of Ugandans is among the worst in the world, in part the legacy of the loss of infrastructure and human resources during the war years, and of the AIDS epidemic.”

Nelson is planning on setting up donation boxes around campus to help collect donations for the project. Each box would have a description of the project and a list of current supply needs.

Photo by Kevin Coriolan