The change begins with you

PART ONE: The Upheaval  Time check: 23:11 A new patient with a nasogastric tube, escorted by eight relatives is wheeled in. They seem to be in a state of shock similar to what I was in the previous day. Only difference is the tube that my patient did not have. This evening it was just us in the emergency ward. The reality of how strong I am hits me, eight against one! It’s just I and him. A ‘girl’ and her ‘daddy’.  I offer a word of comfort to the relatives of the new ‘companion’.  ‘’Everyone we found in here got better and left. It’s just us.’’ I console.  One of them smiles. The others are too shocked to smile. Their eyes are hooked on the semi-conscious patient. They all want to be in the room with the patient, but its crowded, and an emergency ward. The Doctor calmly reminds them about the ‘’1 patient, No Visitor rule’’, to which they reluctantly leave for the corridor. The beep of the Electronic vital sign monitor has become more of a melody to my ears. It reminds me that despite

  ''I can't tell where the journey will end, but I know where to start.'' In my search for a ''better place'', I headed out on a journey of self discovery, adventure, resilience, to find a way out for myself. I hoped that one day that I would make it out with my huge dreams, as I make a huge impact in the lives of those that matter the most. The dream I dreamt took me places, from Yumbe, Moyo, Lira, Bundibugyo, at times Kasese and Ntoroko, I took a road that many of my age feared. Scared at the beginning of the journey? Yes! But in the end I conquered the fears of the unknown, the fear of the places unknown, to the extent that I became passionate about everything I did. I do remember the first time I got into the region, it was chilling cold and I wondered if my dream of experiencing winter had come true. I had been warned earlier on to expect such a cold Fort environment but I was still in awe of the weather that I had to buy an extra jumper, pair o

                                         Image by Shutterstock Gender Equality is a state in which women and men enjoy equal rights, opportunities and entitlements in civil and political life. It implies equal participation of women and men in decision making, equal ability to exercise their human rights, equal access to and control over resources,the benefits of development, and equal opportunities in employment and in all other aspects of their livelihoods (FAO, 2009) ‘’Humanity has the ability to make development sustainable to ensure that it meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of the future generations to meet their own needs,’’- (WCED,1988) Our Common Future, p.16.  Social, Economic and environmental sustainability, which are the pillars of sustainability, and interdependent on each other are impossible without the empowerment, support and contribution of women. The changes in weather over time due to natural and human activities, is a major threat to o