eMagazine April 2023

OUR PEOPLE,
OUR MISSION
Global Health
eMagazine
April 2023
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Reflections
Karamoja, a land out of the world and my
most invaluable University
Written by Hossein Akbarialiabad, MD
Karamoja, a very remote place where neither colonial powers nor the Ugandan
government could control over past centuries, is home to a unique lifestyle. This
area is technology repellent. There is little connection with the outside world.
Sugar, salt, and oil are not used in the villages for cooking, while they still use
wild grains. I traveled to the villages and warrior camps to further understand
the culture. All individuals–women, children, elders, and even warriors–only
consumed one meal daily.
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In villages, all families regardless of their income had one meal per day together;
all consisting of wild grains and beer from local grass. The only piece of advanced
technology in this society were AK-47 firearms to protect their cows. Further
shocking was that people did not have mirrors–they could only recognize their
face while looking at the water. When we were taking selfies together, villagers
would not understand that it was their face in the picture.
Prior to my journey, I studied a lot about Karamoja, learning basic vocabulary
and what (not) to do. Surprisingly they called our car, “moving house” and the
helicopter, “big bad” in their local tongue. When it comes to medicine, only local
interventions were present and people had never seen manufactured pills. The
children stared at me during my time there while practicing their local customs
and fashion. At one point, a child touched me, yelled and scurried back to her
mother, screaming, “Mzungu! Mzungu!” meaning “white! white!” in their local
language. Some of the other children came and touched me as if making sure I
was of the same species.
After I somewhat adjusted to this new environment, I noticed a pure sense of
humanity. I had a lovely stay thanks to Paul–my guide, and translator–who
taught me how to grind the grains with rocks, cook the food using wild grains,
and make baskets for storage using branches of local trees and grasses. I really
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Reflections continued on next page >>