Tegan Joseph Mosugu
Center for the Right to Health
Garki, Abuja, Nigeria
I am now in Abuja, Nigeria, conducting a project on HIV/AIDS. Prior to traveling, I was really nervous about what I would accomplish during these two months. Yet, I knew I needed to be realistic with myself. I set aside all my grand expectations of bringing some sort of massive change to the millions of people living with HIV/AIDS. I also decided to use my internship with the Center for the Right to Health as a steppingstone to HIV/AIDS activism in the future.
It is difficult to approach bettering the lives of people with HIV from an international human rights framework. This is because the vast majority of people believe that HIV/AIDS should be a priority, at least when their governments are able to make it such. In the case of my country, Nigeria, it is hard for people to rally for HIV/AIDS when there are constant power outages, poor roads, and few or no jobs. My host organization navigates the politics of Nigeria and of its locality by staying independent and neutral in its day-to-day operations.
My seminar and independent study this spring really prepared me for my internship. Beforehand, I did not have any sort of focus when it comes to HIV/AIDS. Now, I have a narrow focus and am able to ask specific questions that enable my project to come alive!
However, the part I find difficult is what I anticipated being difficult: the process of wrapping up my summer project. I will need to create adaptive solutions to address the complexities of formulating policies and producing solutions to the issue.
Being in Nigeria is also quite challenging for my work. I want to go and interview individuals in local offices and communities but everyone has priorities, and sometimes my project is not one to them. In addition, I have been unable to interview people because of the nature of the disease in Nigeria and the social implications.
Most of the work I have been doing falls between the lines of support, project proposal, and idea formulation for the Center for the Right to Health. I therefore cannot predict the direction in which my internship is going. However, I do have people on board who are supporting me with my research. It goes to show that sometimes what we have in mind is different from what actually occurs on the ground.
My family and friends have mixed feelings about my project. Some of them are very supportive while others in fact make fun of me. However, those who doubt me in some sense motivate me to produce the best possible work.
I have limited internet here, so until next time…