Ogul PS latrine block installed by a different NGO.

When I first tried writing this reflection I was back from Uganda but my semester had not started yet and I was struggling with how to convey the various things I learned from this summer. Since getting back into the swing of school again, I am looking at my summer a little bit differently. I am still incredibly grateful and honored by the opportunity and I will not forget the people I worked alongside who are continuing to do great work in Gulu. I also won’t forget Gulu, a very unique city in Northern Uganda, that was home for ten weeks. However, one of the things that I keep coming back to about this summer is the lack of international programming dedicated to persons with disabilities (PWDs) or that considers their needs, requirements, and rights. A glaring example for me were the latrines that were installed at Ogul Primary School by a different NGO a few years back. The girls toilets were supposed to be accessible, I think, however, there was no path leading to them from the school (so someone in a wheel chair could not access them), and they were just squat latrines without any handrails to help students with physical disabilities. So although the idea of installing latrines was a good thought for the school, the project didn’t go all the way through to consider all of the students who may need to use the toilets.

It seems that persons with disabilities are often forgotten in planning and programming. Working with the Gulu Disabled Persons Union (GDPU) this summer I worked alongside people who were striving hard to make a difference in their community with minimal resources. I learned a lot of things from them and from my work but one of the most critical lessons was the need to encourage awareness and action among neighborhoods, communities, national, and international organizations to ensure the needs and rights of PWDs are taken into account. We did this at Ogul Primary School and I was happy that the school was open to the lessons we brought with us and felt comfortable enough to ask their questions. However, more needs to be done and GDPU just doesn’t have the resources to do it on their own, other organizations need to step up to the plate and make sure their programming is inclusive.

Students from a former GDPU program designed to teach PWDs skills like electrical repair gather for a focus group over the summer.

Looking back on my work this summer, I am very proud of all of it. I’m happy that Ogul Primary School was open and welcoming to the accessible toilet project and that the local government officials turned out for the handing over ceremony to lend their voices in support of sanitation, hygiene, and disability rights. Despite being proud of this, there were times when I felt like I could’ve done more. We always do when we’re confronted with a large problem like improving the lives and opportunities for PWDs. But on returning to school, I was reminded in one of my classes this semester that despite facing an immense and daunting issue (disability rights) we are all still able to make a dent. We aren’t going to solve the world’s problems because that is not the job of one person or one organization, however, we can make a dent. I made a dent this summer and I intend to continue to do so.

Standing with Ogul Primary School’s Head Teacher in front of the new latrines!