My experiences from promoting students' health through the Students Coalition For Health (SCOFOH)

 Being a student at Makerere University School of Public Health (MakSPH) is one of the best experiences that one could ever enjoy in their academic journey. Of course, you can debate about it, after all, we all perceive life differently. However, allow me just share one of my memorable experiences while at campus.

  Just like most, if not all of the ‘freshers’ (first years) who are admitted to pursue a bachelor's course in Environmental Health Science, little was known about the program. Thanks to the seniors who continuously came to encourage, strengthen and comfort us by explaining the importance of environmental health in Uganda. Such friendly talks prepared our minds and inspired us to innovate solutions to the numerous challenges around us.

 One of the problems was the rapid spread of HIV among university students due to reckless sexual behavior influenced by other risk factors like drugs and substance abuse. This was according to a local Newspaper which reported approximately 20 new HIV infections daily among university students in 2014. Such headlines in the media forced Tonny Muwonge and Herman Mwanja to come up with a student-led multidisciplinary team to try promote health among student communities.

 The team which was named the Students Coalition For Health (SCOFOH) brought together different students from various universities who bred different ideas to solve various health problems.

  One of the solutions to the rapid HIV spread was the Students' HIV/AIDS Awareness (SHIVA) Campaign. Here, we created awareness about the risk factors and prevention strategies among fellow students in several universities. We achieved all this by reaching out to students during University Guild health weeks, sports events and the World AIDS day. We chose to leverage on such events because we hoped to reach more in a shorter time with a less financial burden on our pocket money. Of course, there were several challenges but inadequate finances the major one.

  By May 2019, the SHIVA Campaign had at least reached 8 universities, distributed over 30,000 red ribbons which we made ourselves and reached over 50,000 young people through social media, campus drives and other outreaches since 2015. 

   Since I joined MakSPH in 2016, I have learnt a lot through engaging in the activities run by this coalition together with mentorship from the friendly lecturers. In the journey of being the overall team leader I have gained several skills and competencies required in leadership, communication, mobilization, writing, among others.

  One of the memorable moments was on 13th February 2018 around 7:40 am at school when one of my church friends posted in a WhatsApp group a photo where I was on the cover page of the Health Living magazine in the Daily Monitor newspaper. Our story had appeared in the Daily Monitor, a local newspaper with a title "On a mission to fight HIV in universities". 

I thank the Almighty God who has enabled me to achieve all this. I continue to encourage all students to get involved in constructive engagements while at university so as to develop other skills and abilities.

Please have a look at these photographs;

Brenda (standing) and Jordan (2nd right) with other students at Makerere University

Brenda raising a hand with a message about HIV and Treasure raising a SHIVA Campaign flag

Antony, Filimin and Queen at during the campaign drive at Makerere University

The SHIVA Campaign team at Nkozi University