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The Stethoscope and the Machete

My Journey Through the World of Humanitarian Medicine

  • Lumbini Medical College
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Category: Kyangwali Refugee Settlement

An unexpected email on a weekday afternoon plucked me from the comforts of Pennsylvania onto a plane headed for Ivory Coast. The mission: a one-week humanitarian project at the Kyangwali refugee settlement in western Uganda.

Kyangwali, of the province of Kikuube, is home to 130 000 asylum seekers. Our objective for the mission was not just to give money and provide services, but to transfer expertise and build capacity for further growth. Working alongside an eclectic group of impressive professionals, I glimpsed a window into a completely new world that left me with much to reflect on. The lessons learned and mentors made inexorably altered how I saw humanitarian work and laid the foundation for the next phase of my career.

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All is Well That Ends With a Well

All is Well That Ends With a Well

By juan.lopez, March 4, 2024
Posted in: Kyangwali Refugee Settlement

Despite having felt like I had been in Kyangwali for weeks, we had come up on Friday, the last day of the mission. Arriving at Health Centre IV, Alex and…

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All is Well That Ends With a Well
The Roots of a Weed

The Roots of a Weed

By juan.lopez, March 4, 2024
Posted in: Kyangwali Refugee Settlement

Roosters and rain signaled another day. Sleepy heads flowed into the dining area for breakfast, and before long I found myself again in the surgical tent with an ultrasound probe…

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The Roots of a Weed
The Luckiest Man in the World

The Luckiest Man in the World

By juan.lopez, February 25, 2024
Posted in: Kyangwali Refugee Settlement

By this time we had established our workflow, so in the morning after breakfast Alex and I, The Butterfly Boys, joined the surgical team for pre-op evaluations. In the meantime,…

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The Luckiest Man in the World
Women and Children

Women and Children

By juan.lopez, February 25, 2024
Posted in: Kyangwali Refugee Settlement

Throughout the morning of scanning pre-op patients, I had scurried off to the obstetrics tent more than once, checking in to start our ultrasound teaching. At 845 they told me…

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Women and Children
The Kyangwalinoma

The Kyangwalinoma

By juan.lopez, February 25, 2024
Posted in: Kyangwali Refugee Settlement

I was slow to wake on the morning of our second day. This was partially by design, as I was starting to think our departure times of 730 were wishful…

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The Kyangwalinoma
The Wards

The Wards

By juan.lopez, February 17, 2024
Posted in: Kyangwali Refugee Settlement

Waking up on our first day, I made haste to prep my things after breakfast. Told to expect pickup at 7, I was ready to go without a minute to…

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The Wards
Road Trippin

Road Trippin

By juan.lopez, February 17, 2024
Posted in: Kyangwali Refugee Settlement

The drive to Kyangwali was relatively uneventful, although there was a palpable buzz as we packed our bags onto our two green vans. Flooding necessitated a detour that took longer…

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Road Trippin
A New Start

A New Start

By juan.lopez, February 17, 2024
Posted in: Kyangwali Refugee Settlement

Well here we are. It’s been around a year since my last humanitarian project. Thinking back to who I was then, and who I am now, it’s hard to say…

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A New Start

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