{"id":3054,"date":"2026-03-18T08:57:32","date_gmt":"2026-03-18T08:57:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.muii.org.ug\/usmrc\/?p=3054"},"modified":"2026-03-24T06:52:20","modified_gmt":"2026-03-24T06:52:20","slug":"witnessing-research-impact-firsthand-in-the-hoima-kikuube-communities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.muii.org.ug\/usmrc\/witnessing-research-impact-firsthand-in-the-hoima-kikuube-communities\/","title":{"rendered":"Witnessing Research Impact Firsthand in the Hoima\u2013Kikuube Communities"},"content":{"rendered":"

No one quite tells you what a field visit will really feel like!<\/strong><\/p>\n

You will hear about the long journeys, the community meetings, and the schedules but no one prepares you for the quiet excitement of finally standing in the very places where the research you talk about every day happens.<\/p>\n

My name is Trust Debbie Lenia, and I serve as the Communications and Engagement Officer at the Uganda Schistosomiasis Multidisciplinary Research Centre (U-SMRC). Funded by National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIH), the Centre brings together scientists and communities to tackle schistosomiasis(bilharzia), a neglected tropical disease that affects millions through research, health education and community-led solutions.<\/p>\n

Recently, I had the opportunity to travel to the Hoima\u2013Kikuube communities along the shores of Lake Albert, Uganda and what I experienced there was far more than a routine field visit.<\/p>\n

It became a moment of reflection, learning, and appreciation for the communities that sit at the heart of our research.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

As we approached the area, the landscape slowly opened into wide views of Lake Albert. Fishing boats dotted the water in the distance, children moved along narrow paths between homes, and the rhythms of daily life unfolded in ways both ordinary and deeply meaningful. For many families in these communities, the lake is both a source of life and a place where the risk of infection quietly persists.<\/p>\n

It finally dawned on me that this right here was where the science we often discuss in meetings and reports takes on real human context.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Walking through the community, I quickly realized that the study is not simply something people have heard about, rather, it is something they feel connected to.<\/p>\n

Many residents greeted the research team with familiarity and warmth, sharing stories of their involvement with the programe since the first field visit in 2024.<\/p>\n

Some spoke about health education sessions that helped them better understand bilharzia and how it spreads.<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cBefore the researchers came, many of us did not fully understand why this disease kept affecting our children. Now we know what bilharzia is and how to protect ourselves. The study has helped us learn.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Others reflected on the regular interactions with the study teams and the reassurance that comes from knowing health support such as free medical checkups and treatment for bilharzia is close by.<\/p>\n

One mother I spoke to shared a reflection that stayed with me long after the visit.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe used to think this sickness was just part of life by the lake. Now, we understand it, and we know how to protect our children. That knowledge has given us hope.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Her words captured something powerful: research, when done with communities rather than simply within them, becomes something much bigger than data collection.<\/p>\n

It simply becomes a shared journey of understanding, trust, and hope.<\/p>\n

As conversations continued throughout the days with community leaders, mothers, and young people, it became clear that the work of the U-SMRC has created more than scientific knowledge. It has built relationships, strengthened awareness about schistosomiasis health, and given communities a voice in research that seeks to address diseases affecting their lives.<\/p>\n

And for me, as someone responsible for telling the stories of this work, the visit was a powerful reminder that behind every dataset, every report, and every scientific breakthrough, there are people whose experiences shape the meaning and impact of the research itself.<\/p>\n

Catch me in the next series as we continue this journey of science and community, where every step brings us closer to impact…<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

No one quite tells you what a field visit will really feel like! You will hear about the long journeys, the community meetings, and the schedules but no one prepares […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":2777,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[9],"tags":[],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.muii.org.ug\/usmrc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3054"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.muii.org.ug\/usmrc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.muii.org.ug\/usmrc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.muii.org.ug\/usmrc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.muii.org.ug\/usmrc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3054"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/www.muii.org.ug\/usmrc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3054\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3088,"href":"https:\/\/www.muii.org.ug\/usmrc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3054\/revisions\/3088"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.muii.org.ug\/usmrc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2777"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.muii.org.ug\/usmrc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3054"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.muii.org.ug\/usmrc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3054"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.muii.org.ug\/usmrc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3054"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}