Even though I had planned there to be little rest in between my arrival and first day at TASO, I was feeling the jet lag and some nerves. I was instructed by Dr. Josephine the day before to wait at the guesthouse to be walked into TASO by a colleague (the perks of staying somewhere within walking distance). While waiting there I had an incredible encounter with a young girl who immediately spotted me and asked me if I had a camera phone. I was amused by her bluntness and confidence so passed over my iPhone. She then took several hundred selfies and videos of herself singing while giggling away with glee. When my TASO colleague, Andrew, arrived I was saddened to leave this girl but happy to have photo and video evidence of our short, but special encounter together.
When Andrew arrived, we walked and talked as if we had known each other and had been good friends. A similar pattern emerged once I was able to meet the other research team and see how warm and welcoming everyone was. After a short prayer was given (typical practice in Ugandan culture) we began our introductory meeting. Even though there was only 4 of us present, the meeting feel was rather formal, as was something I noted in my team’s attire. The research team set out a detailed weekly plan for what activities they had scheduled, but also encouraged me to find other areas I could contribute to and add that to my schedule. For the remainder of the day I met with each of the managers from the several areas in which TASO focuses it’s efforts, including Resource Mobilization and Health Systems Strengthening. Each person I met with was extremely knowledgeable in their field and many had worked in other roles or capacities throughout TASO, verifying my impression that this was an amazing place for anyone to work.
Then for the lunch break, now this was something I had some apprehensions about. Not only was I nervous about some likely teasing and confusion, but also not knowing what I could possibly eat as a vegetarian there. To my surprise they did have a “veggie plate” option, although I wouldn’t go as far as to say this was intended for vegetarians. The food from the cafeteria downstairs was hearty and heavy with matoke and posho taking up the majority of the plate. I actually enjoyed the food and having a home cooked meal by walking downstairs.
The first day passed quickly then following the week. I found several areas that I was familiar with and the TASO team welcomed my ideas and encouraged implementation to start. I was able to share my ideas with the TASO managers in a brief presentation before I set off to Jinja to meet the research team there.
