Makerere University students in the field during a hydrology practical session.

The lack of clean drinking water and proper wastewater/solid waste management in Uganda posed real and significant threats to public health and hygiene throughout the country.

To build Uganda’s capacity to respond to environmental health concerns, State University of New York, Albany (SUNY-Albany) partnered with Makerere University in Uganda to establish undergraduate and graduate programs in environmental science and health. Several Ugandan PhD students received training in environmental health at SUNY-Albany, enabling them to return to Uganda as faculty in the new program.

One of those students was Dr. John Ssempebwa, who returned to Makerere University to teach a Bachelor of Environmental Health class before joining the Ugandan Institute of Public Health.

Dr. Ssempebwa believes that a hands-on experience is vital in teaching science subjects, especially in developing countries, regardless of how rudimentary the equipment might be. That is why he took his undergraduate students outside the classroom to teach a practical session on hydrology. By determining stream flow in the field, he explains and demonstrates how contaminant movement plays an important part in aquatic environments.

Photo: Dr. John Ssempebwa