Andddd the last week of the SAFE schools project arrived!! This last week was packed with final touches and putting the final systems in place, to ensure sustainability and continuity. We started off this week with our usual 8am monday meeting where we discussed everything that needs to be finalized. 

Early in the week, I worked on the simulation drills that would be used to test the students and teachers and assess whether they were ready to respond to various emergency situations. The simulation drills were carried out by our medical teams international partners with windle being there as well. We had multiple sessions in the week. After the simulation drills, the certificates were given out to all of the participants. Copies of the simulation drill books were also left at the school and we hope that at least bi-yearly, there will be retraining and reassessment to ensure that all the participants mantian their skills and preparedness for emergencies. As mentioned before, medical teams international promised to help us ensure we dont run out of supplies which was also an important step towards sustainability. We really focused on training the people that were actually settled in the refugee settlement, to ensure the knowledge spreads, and also so that its people that actually live in the community more long term, not people that come in short term. We really wanted to make sure the knowledge remained within the settlement. 

The first aid point was active at this point (this was the week of june 29th) and I actually received a photo from the school on august 5th showing the SAFE schools protocols being used when a student had a health incident. This made me really happy (not the student having a health incident! just the fact that the proedures were actually being used 3 months after I left Uganda) and showed me that the project was reaching the sustainability goals that I had planned. It actually brought a tear to my eyes, I was really sad I couldnt be in Uganda for the full 6 weeks but the fact that things were used without me being physically present and even after the official project implementation timeline had ended really showed me this project became exactly what I dreamed for it to be and more. 

We were able to confirm the use of the incident logbook and that everything was being used the way it should be. I also prepared a short replication toolkit, as Ematong primary school was just our pilot school, if this project continues to be successful over the year, I hope to work with Windle again to expand this program to other refugee schools within the region. Overall, this was probably one of the most impactful experiences of my life. Even though I was only in Uganda briefly, I am so grateful I got to go in person as it really informed my work and gave me a whole new perspective in life. I learnt so much from this experience overall, and I think I really grew especially with the unexpected departure and having to refine the project last minute. I became a much more adaptable person and really learnt how to trust my team and deal with uncertainty. I'm so happy that for the most part, everything eventually worked out the way I had planned in terms of the actual deliverables of the project and that the community was impacted the way I had hoped. 

The onground team had a learning brief session at the school, and I bid a temporary farewell to the wonderful team I worked with. This was officially the end of my LiA project, but it was only the begining of the School Action for First Response and Emergencies project in Refugee schools. Look out for this project, its gonna grow to so many other schools and help make these communities more prepared and self-reliant,  trust me. ;)

Here are some pictures from the simulation drills and certificate presentation!

And here is the photo sent to me on August 5th and the caption!