Interview with Theresa Weinman

I chose to interview a close family friend who has been involved with Engeye from the beginning and who keeps me motivated and interested in going back. Here are a few of the questions so that you all can get to know her yourself: 

1. What is your connection to Albany Med?

I have been employed by Albany Medical College for 26 years. I have worked in the same department, the Department of Family & Community Medicine the entire time. I am currently the Academic Coordinator for many of the community service and service learning programs. While I work in many areas of the medical school curriculum, the role I enjoy most is when I work with medical students, encouraging them to work with at risk or underserved populations.

2. How did you first become involved with Engeye?

Stephanie Van Dyke, a second year medical student at the time, came to me and told me her dream of building a health clinic in Uganda. She had met John Kalule during a trip there and he had told her about his village. I was able to connect her to Dr. Bob Paeglow and he helped her work toward her dream of building the clinic. Dr. Bob, Stephanie and a group of students and volunteers traveled to officially open the clinic doors in 2006. During this trip, family members brought in a young girl named Susan Nabukenya who had been burned over 80% of her body. Dr. Bob did not have any of the resources he needed to help Susan. When he returned to the United States he could not shake the memory of her and felt he was called to help her. I got involved with that mission and we became “Team Susan.” This group of volunteers applied to many hospitals until we found one who would accept her. John Kalule became her legal guardian and they came to the US for her treatment in 2007. It was when she was preparing to return to Uganda that John and I spoke of creating an organization (which would later become Engeye Scholars) to help sponsor Susan and other students to attend school.

3. When did you first meet John Kalule?

I first met John in 2007 when he came to the US with Susan Nabukenya.

4.When did you first visit Ddegeya and what experience did you have?

I first visited Ddegeya village in 2009. I was 44 years old and had never traveled out of the country. I got my first passport because I was determined to see Susan again and see Engeye with my own eyes. The experience was life changing and I have worked for/with Engeye every since. I co-founded the Engeye Scholars education program and have served on and off the Board of Directors throughout the years. I also help coordinate and plan all of the visiting medical mission teams to Engeye (approximately three per year).  

 

5. Have you been back since then? What have you done there?

I have returned five times but most of my work on behalf of Engeye have been here in the US, helping to recruit board members, raise funds for ongoing projects, coordinate medical mission trips, work on developing several microfinance programs for women in the community and try to strengthen and grow partnerships both in Uganda and the US for Engeye.

6. Can you describe briefly some of the projects you have worked on?

So many wonderful projects. Growing and transforming the Scholars Program is my first love. We had spent several years partnering with a small local school and that was our focus for several years.  The Engeye Teen Connection was a passionate group of teens who helped us raise funds through several programs and events. They helped raise $10,000 to bring solar power and textbooks to the school. We worked to bring training programs for the teachers and many other programs of support. Sadly, with a change in leadership, we needed to end our partnership with this particular school last year. We have begun the Engeye Artisans Program where we invest in local community members and help them begin small businesses. This has been an area of great reward for me personally. With the Engeye Board of Directors, we have spent the last two years researching the need for maternity services in the community. We have spent the last 12 months raising funds to build the Engeye Maternity Center. We hope to break ground in 2017. Engeye also has clean water initiatives and many other public health projects that I have been able to work on.  The needs feel endless but I am very proud of the accomplishments that the Engeye team members have been able to tackle in just a few years.

7. Why do you keep going back?

I keep going back because the people of Engeye have stolen my heart. The work there is hard and heartbreaking and rewarding. I think I will be going back until they ask me to stop.

8. What would you like to see happen in the future?

I have many dreams for the Engeye community. I hope that the health clinic will be able to continue to provide quality, compassionate healthcare to this wonderful community.  I hope they will be able to continue to recruit and keep the wonderful staff they have today. I hope that our Engeye Scholars will be able to continue their education and go on to University. I hope that we will break ground on the maternity center and within the next year, we will be able to offer mothers a safe delivery and prevent unnecessary death and heartache. I hope that physicians, teachers and young people will continue to come to Engeye and be inspired. In return, I hope they will continue to share their time, talent and knowledge with this special community. 

I hope you all enjoyed hearing from Theresa. I am so incredibly lucky to be involved with people like her with huge hearts, who are doing such incredible work. I am honored to be a part of it all.