Finding a Way Forward
By Nicole Cullen
For 10 years, the GlobeMed chapter at Northeastern University was partnered with Kitovu Mobile LTD, an organization that formed in response to the impact of HIV in the Masaka and Rakai regions of Uganda. Over the course of 32 years promoting health in these districts, Kitovu has established a strong and sustainable presence. These same values were evident in the partnership between Kitovu and the Northeastern students. During their partnership, the Northeastern students built relationships in the communities Kitovu worked with and developed a strong bond with Charles, their contact at Kitovu. By 2017, however, Kitovu Mobile outgrew the support that the GlobeMed chapter members could offer.
This realization was daunting. For 10 years, the GlobeMed chapters had worked with Kitovu, building relationships with their partner as well as members of the community. Although the students knew that they could have a greater impact through partnership with a less established organization, they did not want to move away from the community they loved and supported. GlobeMed at Northeastern had to ask themselves: to foster change at the grassroots level, what do you need? While the partnership between Kitovu and GlobeMed at Northeastern was no longer critical to Kitovu’s work, their support could be extremely impactful in building the capacity of another organization.
The following year, their partner contact and friend Charles approached the GlobeMed chapter with a solution: The Twesiga-Mukama Federation. The Federation, a partner of Kitovu Mobile, uses community development projects to empower Ugandan communities. One of their projects is focused on developing water and sanitation hygiene through the women in the community. These women help to proliferate sanitation techniques, empowering their own communities.
For the Northeastern students, re-partnering with the Federation was akin to riding a bike without training wheels for the first time. While it felt a little scary, both the students and their new partner could make huge strides together. This transition was made possible by the strong, trusting, and empowering relationship that each partner had with Kitovu. This existing relationship allowed them to move into their new partnership.
The re-partnership created an opportunity for improvement. The transition proved to the Northeastern students once again that trust is the key to a strong partnership. The trust they had in Charles and all of Kitovu allowed them to move into their new partnership. Despite the newness of their partnership, the students must continue to trust that the Federation, like their old partner, knows what is needed in their community. Trust allows partners to grow together just as Kitovu Mobile did and continue to do empowering work in the community.
Since their re-partnering, the students at Northeastern have experienced the dedication that the women that comprise the Federation have for the well-being of their communities. Although they lack resources, their tenacity has helped to spread sanitation techniques throughout the Twesiga and Mukama regions.
Ultimately, the students of the Northeastern GlobeMed chapter would like to see the Federation at the same stage that Kitovu is at now: a sustainable organization empowering the Ugandan communities they work with. The students know that there is a lot of work to be done, but believe that the relationships they have built with both Kitovu and their new partner has created a foundation for the Federation to thrive.
Originally published at https://www.globemed.org on May 19, 2019.
