Eye opening in Kigali and Gulu - SIT: Kampala - Uganda/Rwanda: Post-Conflict Transformation Past Review
By Malena A (Anthropolgy, Barnard College) for
SIT Study Abroad: Reviews from Former Locations
Completely worthwhile. You cannot beat going somewhere and learning from people who have had such different experiences than your own. I learned about forgiveness and thought about it in new ways and it really got me to thinking about other things. I think you just learn to open your eyes and see what is going on and not always talk about it or give your opinion but sometimes to just observe and enjoy it.
Personal Information
| The term and year this program took place: | Fall 2009 |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Though the classroom time was not very productive I feel that I learned so much in other ways that made up for it in so many other ways. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
There were two academic advisers, both very different which made for a difficult transition from one country to the other and also for misunderstanding between the two. There was also a lack of genuine communication between the students and the advisers in that often we were treated as young students and not taken into account as young adults. The strengths are that the advisers worked very hard in finding places for us to visit and getting important people to come and talk to us, trying to give different perspectives, more so in Rwanda. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The best of my time in Uganda and Rwanda was with families. The housing in the group varied greatly in living arrangements. My homes both had electricity most of the time and one had running water and the other had a running water system outside. <br /><br /> Neither of my houses were far from lectures. |
| * Food: |
The food isn't the strongest part, very carb heavy and simple. There are not very many options though vegetarian needs were easily met as meat is not the main part of any meal. In Gulu, make sure you go to Low Cost close to Churchill. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
It was a great group of students we were with and there was a lot of time to have fun. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
The health-care system in Gulu is not very strong and often students were misdiagnosed but there were no serious complications. You must always have cash to go to the hospital and Gulu Independent, the private hospital is not necessarily any better though it is more expensive. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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Finances
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* Money: How easily were you able to live on a student's budget?
(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost) |
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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | The majority of my money went to chocolate and water and then things to bring home. I spent about 15 to 20 dollars a week. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | The ISP portion is not all inclusive and if you chose to not live with your family, chances are you will be spending some of your own money, especially in Rwanda because it is so much more costly. |
Language
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
The language instruction only served to supplement the English most people speak in the area. It was only to greet people and create a sense of comfort, it was really nice to be able to even just say the few words to local people as it made them very interested in everything else you had to say afterwards. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Think of your ISP topic at the beginning of the program, it is amazing to be on your own doing research and so much easier if you know generally what you want to do! |
Comments
thanks for the review
Person March 28, 2010
