Description of Service

Ms. Carrie May began Peace Corps training on September 26, 2006 at Peace Corps' training site in Luweero, Uganda and completed an intensive ten‑week program. The training program included:

Culture:                 Ugandan area and cultural studies including politics, geography, values, history, health, with an emphasis how these issues impact Ugandan communities, families, and children (50 hrs).

Technical:             General introduction to the public health system in Uganda, with specific emphasis on health care at the grassroots level.  The foundation of the training program was built on the following topics: HIV/AIDS and other communicable diseases, malaria prevention, water and sanitation issues, child and maternal health, nutrition and community mobilization (170 hrs).

Language:            Study of the Runyooro/Rutorro language, spoken and written (83 hrs); passed her ACTFL exam at the intermediate-low level.

Health/Safety:      First aid, tropical medicine, preventative medicine, and personal safety issues (31 hrs).

 

During this period of Pre‑Service Training, as part of the language and cross‑cultural component of the training program Ms. Carrie May lived with a Runyooro‑speaking Ugandan family. Three weeks of the training included health facilities visits and workshop development.

 

Ms. Carrie May successfully completed training and was sworn in as a Peace Corps Volunteer on November 30, 2006. She was assigned to work with Emesco Development Foundation located in Karuguuza, Kibaale District. Her service ended on July 12, 2007.

 

Ms. Carrie May served as a PEPFAR (President's Emergency Plan for Aids Relief) Community Health Volunteer. She trained over 160 Community Health Workers (CHWs), Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) and Community Resource Persons through HIV workshops entitled 'Sensitize, Advise, Refer! Confidentially'. Ms. May developed the theme, curriculum, teaching methods and partner agency support through local needs assessments and a positive relationship with her Ugandan Counterpart. Topics included: Pre & Post tests, Role of CHW in HIV prevention, care and treatment, Confidentiality, How it is spread, How not spread, Who should get tested?, Condom demonstrations, Field trip to a Community Resource Center and HIV Clinic, Other support resources, Role-play presentations, debriefings and way forward.

 

On average, participants who attended the workshop increased their basic HIV knowledge by 21% and thus increased their capacity to fill their role as community leaders. Furthermore, Ms. May supported eight Community Health Workers in their efforts to sensitize their villages on HIV/Aids prevention. These sensitizations and others reached over 520 individuals.

 

Organizational development was a concurrent area of focus for Ms. May while serving Emesco Development Foundation. She began to build strategies to increase effective communication between management and staff and collaboration/referrals between departments and partner agencies. She also created a manual for the mainstreaming of HIV messages in the Sustainable Agriculture and Integrated Community Health programs.

 

Ms. May guided her Counterpart and Supervisor in creating a Village Health Baseline Survey to be used by newly trained Community Health Workers and Traditional Birth Attendants.

 

Ms. May completed an Organizational Strategic Planning workshop that covered developing vision and mission statements, goals, objectives, timelines and budgets. She was also trained in Life Skills Development that target youth and adults.

 

Ms. May built relationships with several international grantors who fund Emesco Development Foundation and brainstormed with her colleagues and supervisor on how to improve program monitoring and reporting.

 

Finally, Ms. May participated in HIV Strategic Planning meetings with officials from the Kibaale District. At these meetings she provided leadership to complete community mapping of HIV services for prevention, care and treatment at the District and NGO level. Over 50 HIV/Aids service providers were identified, which will increase awareness and networking and reduce duplication of services in the Kibaale District.