"So when do they turn the lights on?"

          Today is the second day of the homestay and all of the JHU/MakSPH students could not feel more at home. Two days ago the students met their new "mama" and "tata" as well as their loving brothers and sisters. Many of the families have taken to addressing the students as their own children. Some of the young children in the family have never seen "bazungu," or white foreigners, before, so the first interactions were quite fascinating. For instance, students have shared experiences of young children who cried when seeing "bazungu" for the first time. After two days, the children have begun interacting with the JHU/MakSPH students by sharing music from our different cultures and dancing to the tunes. 

             Many students have had very heartfelt experiences with their families which we had the chance to share with each other in a group reflection yesterday. One student had an experience where, as he was sneezing just due to allergies, the 12 year old house-brother offered him local medicine thinking he had the flu.  Nothing could have made the student feel more at home. 

            The MakSPH students have had quite the entertaining time watching the JHU students adapt to the homestay. Many of the JHU students have never used a latrine or taken a bucket bath. Thankfully, most of the MakSPH students were able to demonstrate the techniques for their homestay colleagues. One MakSPH student had the courage to get in front of the whole group and teach a bucket bath step-by-step.  The first day was a tough adjustment for the JHU students, as evidenced by Dom's reaction to his home's lack of electricity: "So when do they turn the lights on?". The MakSPH students felt more comfortable with the living situation than the JHU students did, but all the students felt the expected awkwardness that comes with living in another family's home.  The second day has proven to be easier, and we expect that by the end of the homestay we will be so comfortable it will be hard to leave.

Meeting our families!

            The JHU/MakSPH students were fortunate enough to go on a tour of the Rakai Health Science Program (RHSP). While at the Rakai Health Science Project laboratories,the JHU/MakSPH students were able to physically see some equipment like the safety devices and huge freezers that are used to keep samples since 1988. They had never seen these before.

            Today the students are breaking off into small groups to research their independent topics in the area around the Rakai Health Sciences Program.  Students are headed to the Kalisizo Hospital, Uganda Cares (an organization working with HIV positive patients), Rakai AIDS Information Network (RAIN), Kalisizo Town Council, and the RHSP Counseling Center.  The students had a chance to ask questions regarding their topics to local experts.  Getting out into the community was a great way for the students to expand their knowledge about their topics, sometimes gaining a perspective different from that which they expected.