Young Public Health Ambassadors in Action
This article was first published by Photoshare on Exposure. Coyright © 2017 Photoshare & David Alexander, Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs.
Young people who are changing the world
My journey to Uganda to visit a youth-led organization that creates flash mobs was as amazing as it sounds — not just because the dance parties increase awareness of and access to health services, but because the work is driven by compassion and delivered with fearlessness by an amazing group of young Ugandans. The services delivered by a pop-up health clinic on the day their rolling party circled the central marketplace in Luwero, a small town about an hour outside of Kampala, were the kind that have a real impact on communities and families: contraceptive counseling and referrals, HIV counseling and testing, clinic vouchers, and de-worming kits.
Elizabeth Futrell and I were there working on a storytelling project called Family Planning Voices. We had just trained a group of young public health professionals on interview and photography techniques, and now we had the opportunity to see the youth-led organization we’d come to work with — Public Health Ambassadors Uganda — in action
Public Health Ambassadors Uganda is no ordinary organization. It is comprised of young Ugandans ages, 20 to 35 years old who are invested in improving health in their country — a conviction that’s amplified by their drive. The ambassadors are fearless. It’s not easy to talk to strangers about sex or health behaviors, but the challenge is no match for the drive of Public Health Ambassadors Uganda.
Creativity in Motion
As the truck loaded with speakers made its way around the marketplace, I was struck by the quality of the interactions. Public Health Ambassadors Uganda and their collaborators delivered their health messages with cool confidence, leaving little doubt of their role as a conduit for engaging the community on family planning and health behaviors. They persuaded hundreds of marketgoers to visit their pop-up health tent that day.
Dance
The dance troupe made stops around the market, creating a buzz wherever they went.
Pop-up Health Clinics
Health care providers travel to Luwero for the day to offer their services at a pop-up clinic in the middle of the marketplace. Though some of them were strangers to the local market, they were approachable and knowledgeable. They arrived early in the morning and seamlessly connected with clients and delivered services until nearly sundown. These providers served 600 clients in one day.
The local PROFAM clinic
Public Health Ambassador Patrick Segawa took a break from his responsibilities at the market to practice the storytelling skills he learned in our workshop by interviewing a local family planning provider at her clinic near the market.
Public Health Ambassadors Uganda
During our time in Kampala, we sat down with members of Public Health Ambassadors Uganda’s leadership and implementation teams for Family Planning Voices interviews and portraits. The stories they shared reflect their personal and professional dedication to improving health and lives in their country. With deep conviction and belief that they can change health outcomes in Uganda, they talked about what has inspired them, how they formed their organization, and the real challenges they face. View their stories at www.fpvoices.org. Read an oral history of Public Health Ambassadors Uganda, which includes more background on our collaboration with them, on Medium.
© 2017 David Alexander, Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs