October Practicum

For the month of October, our group will be split up into pairs to complete our Cross-Cultural Studies Practicum. We recently learned of our placements...

I will be spending October in the Apac region of Northern Uganda:

Apac is located on the edge of Northern Uganda, where the war between the government of Uganda and the Lord's Resistance Army has taken place. Though it has not been directly involved in most of the fighting, from what I've heard it has been influenced by the war through the presence IDP camps (Internally Displaced Person). It was also the site of the "Aboke abductions," a famous abduction by the LRA in 1996.

My position title is Junior Project Officer. I will be meeting with community members and Food for the Hungry workers to complete a Community Needs Assessment. Part of my job will be to organize surveys, interviews, and public forums to identify the greatest needs in the community, and what Food for the Hungry is doing to meet these needs, particularly in the sectors of Food Security, Health, and Child Survival. In addition, I'll be looking into what other NGOs in the community are doing in the area. At the end, I'll be writing a research report on what I learn.

Though daunting and slightly intimidating, I'm very excited about the opportunity. I'll be living in Apac with my friend Kirsten from Houghton University. We'll be living in a fairly rural area, so we'll be learning to live by lantern light, wash our clothes by hand, haul our own water, and travel by bicycle taxis. We leave for Apac on the 29th, and we can't wait to get started!