Rally day

I woke up early on Saturday morning and walked up to the hospital grounds to meet Thomas and the USF members. They were busy practising their performances for the rally. We soon piled into a matatu.... all twenty of us! We stopped at four different villages and each time would meet with the LC1 (local chairman) and congregate into the house of a person living with mental illness. The mental health professionals would take this time to explain the importance of medicine and hospital support. Often, when a person with mental illness displays symptoms, they are taken to a local traditional healer. Often the healer charges a lot of money or goods for a person to seek treatment that can sometimes be damaging and insensitive. While the hospital recognizes the value of the healers in certain areas, they believe that it is critical that a person with mental illness is taken to the hospital as soon as possible.

We continued on through many villages stopping to pick up and greet people along the way. We arrived at the last village to be welcomed by over 100 people! They were all there to watch the rally. The members started by introducing themselves and sharing their experiences with mental illness. Some of them were dealing with illness themselves while others were family members. I found it so interesting to hear the similarities between people's experiences in Uganda and those that I have heard in Canada. Despite all the cultural, historical and economic differences--our struggles are all very similar.

One woman, a member of USF, shared her poem with us. It was very powerful. She challenged the community to imagine how they would feel if they or someone they love was diagnosed with a mental illness. It seems that anywhere in the world the main causes of stigma, social isolation and discrimination are misunderstanding and lack of empathy.

The members then put on a drama performance and the rally was brought to an end. It must be so empowering for the USF members to stand in front of such a big audience, share their struggle, show their strength and advocate for others. They are also spreading the message that treatment at the Masaka Referral Hospital is effective and free!

We had a long drive back into the city but I think I was the only one that was tired—the members were singing and drumming the whole way back.

It was a long day, but one that I will never forget. -K